Fertilizing Peonies': When?

[JPB]

I'd like some guidelines on the right fertilizing regime. I know they don't like too much nitrogen but should I feritize them now? A nursery man once told me to fertilize them when the leaves wither in  autumn and the feeder roots develop and not in spring.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Gail]

To be honest I very rarely feed mine. They may get the occasional splash with some liquid tomato-type fertilizer if I happen to be passing with a can (the few I have in pots will get a monthly - ish splash while in leaf). But then I've got a clay soil, on light sand I may be more generous...

[JPB]

Thank you Gail. I'm sorry I forgot to mention that I grow my peonies in pots. What would you advise?

[Gail]

I'd use a high potassium tomato-type feed - the potassium is meant to encourage flowering, and I tend to feed just while they are in growth. I see the logic of what your nurseryman advised but would worry about overdosing them then and scorching the roots. If using artificial fertilisers regularly you can get a build up of salts and it is worth giving a thorough soak with rain water from time to time to flush them through, particularly if you don't re-pot annually.

[JPB]

I'd use a high potassium tomato-type feed - the potassium is meant to encourage flowering, and I tend to feed just while they are in growth. I see the logic of what your nurseryman advised but would worry about overdosing them then and scorching the roots. If using artificial fertilisers regularly you can get a build up of salts and it is worth giving a thorough soak with rain water from time to time to flush them through, particularly if you don't re-pot annually.

Thanks Gail. I will only mulch (or repot) the plants in autumn and I just have applied a 19:19:19 liquid fertilizer at 1/3 strength. According to the Halda book balanced fertilizers can be applied so I guess it will not lead to excess nitrogen.
Flowering is not a problem when growing in pots. Once the plants reach a certain size they are freely flowering