Peony Home Care

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How to care for your cut peonies:

Start with a clean vase.

Mix cool water with floral preservative, (that came with your peony purchase) following the directions on the packet. 

Remove lower leaves so they do not sit in the water.

Use a clean sharp knife, clippers or scissors to cut ½ to 1 inch off of the bottom of the stem. Cut at an angle to prevent damaging and flattening the stem and immediately put them in your prepared water.

Peonies are very thirsty flowers, so check the water level daily and top off with cool water, It is not necessary to change the water, but if you do, use floral preservative. 

Peonies last longer when they are cool and when not exposed to: direct sunlight, smoke, the draft of the air conditioner or the gasses of ripening fruit.

If you want your blooms to open fast, which reduces their lifespan, use luke-warm water. 

 Now that you have purchased some peonies for an upcoming event, you want to keep them closed until the day before the event. Here are some things to do: 

• keep them in fresh water with holding solution
• check the bottom of the stems daily for bacteria
• if you see bacteria, (discoloration) cut a half inch off, change the water and add holding solution
• most importantly, keep refrigerated at 38 degrees, (most home refrigerators are about 38 degrees.)
• the day before the event, take them out of refrigeration, cut off bottom of stems, place in fresh water with flower food and watch them open.