I have a lot of peonies and when the petals fall I am wondering if I
should cut off the seed head.

Can someone advise me on this please ?
Thanks.

Mike

Mike, I don't know the answer, but my brother is a fanatic about cutting off
the flowers as they die. I do it also, I toss the iris, rose, peony, etc.
blooms back into the garden after they aren't pretty anymore. Vie been told
that it encourages the plant to bloom, but mostly if makes the plants look
better if the old flower is removed. Plus, I am returning the nutrients
back to the flower bed by throwing them back. If the plant is diseased, I
don't throw it back, but burn it.

Dwayne

"Mike" wrote in message
...
I have a lot of peonies and when the petals fall I am wondering if I should
cut off the seed head.

Can someone advise me on this please ?
Thanks.

Mike

Dwayne wrote:

"Mike" wrote in message
...
I have a lot of peonies and when the petals fall I am wondering if
I
should cut off the seed head.

Can someone advise me on this please ?

Mike, I don't know the answer, but my brother is a fanatic about
cutting off the flowers as they die. I do it also, I toss the
iris,
rose, peony, etc. blooms back into the garden after they aren't
pretty anymore. Vie been told that it encourages the plant to
bloom,
but mostly if makes the plants look better if the old flower is
removed. Plus, I am returning the nutrients back to the flower bed
by throwing them back. If the plant is diseased, I don't throw it
back, but burn it.

Better to compost any plant remains before putting them back, though
a few petals won't harbour slugs. I don't think dead-heading
perennials which can flower only once a year, such as peonies,
usually affects flowering performance -- but it matters with bulbs,
of course. Some seed-heads look good, though: you should certainly
let the hips grow on once-flowering roses; and browned-off flower
spikes are sometimes part of the charm.

--
Mike.

In article , Dwayne jenco@st-
tel.net writes
Mike, I don't know the answer, but my brother is a fanatic about cutting off
the flowers as they die. I do it also, I toss the iris, rose, peony, etc.
blooms back into the garden after they aren't pretty anymore. Vie been told
that it encourages the plant to bloom, but mostly if makes the plants look
better if the old flower is removed. Plus, I am returning the nutrients
back to the flower bed by throwing them back. If the plant is diseased, I
don't throw it back, but burn it.

Leaving the flowers on to make seed heads may look untidy but gives food
for the birds, and thus, of course, attracts more of them to your
garden.

No point with a lot of double flowers, because they'll not make seed
anyway.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Mike" wrote in message
...
I have a lot of peonies and when the petals fall I am wondering if I should
cut off the seed head.

Can someone advise me on this please ?
Thanks.

Mike

Mike, I have just seen your question, and was curious myself as to the
answer, but all the replies came up as 'removed from server' which I find
infuriating! Please could you (or anyone else) let me know a summary of
what the advice was?
Thanks,
Rosie