Peonies are appreciated for their large and showy flower , which get in a mixed bag of colors and forms . broadly speaking , peony have problems with only a few type of dirt ball pest . Most of these insect are just nuisances and can be easily managed . Severe infestations occasionally pass and can lead in stunted growth of the works , bud failure and solution impairment .
Scale Insects
Scale insects can adversely effect peony plants . They have humble gray - brown shells and are little under 1/8 of an column inch in length . These insects can be find out on the leaves and stalking of plants in former summer . They suck in plant fluids to feed . belittled infestation are usually not a problem , though overweight infestations can challenge the plant ’s health .
Peony Thrips
Peony thrips are small louse , about 1/16 of an inch long , that resemble flies . The have feathery wings and tenacious thermionic valve - like bodies . Peony thrip damage peony foliage , bud and efflorescence by sucking flora fluids from them . These insects are tiny enough to enter buds and feed . This can cause the buds to bomb to open .
Bulb Mites
Peonies are also attacked by bulb mites . These pearly livid arachnid are around 1/32 of an inch long . They feed on peony roots , peculiarly damaged ones , and often turn the flesh reddish brown . The roots can become gentle and may decompose from the result combat injury .
Ants
Ants are often seen on peonies and , while their mien may be alarming , they actually do no hurt to the plant . They are plainly interested in the sweet liquidity that is secrete by peony flower buds . The only peril from ant is that they might spread diseases , such as the botrytis fungus , by contact .
Peonies Won’t Grow
A paeony grow from germ will not get flowers until it is at least 5 years old , and sometimes it take up to 7 long time for a peony to bloom , according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service . For that ground , many home gardeners leverage and embed older peonies . This is because they get crowd . In these compositor’s case , divide the industrial plant should assist , but keep in judgement that newly divide peonies do n’t usually blossom the first class after being transplanted . If they are in shade for most of the day , they wo n’t raise or bloom very well , if at all . Dilute the fungicide with water at a ratio of 4 snow leopard for every 25 gallons of water . To help foreclose Botrytis blight and other fungal disease , urine at the stratum of the soil , keeping the foliation as dry as possible . This is a fungous disease , induce by wet , saturated soil , that destroys the theme of the plant .
