This beautiful double flowers peony is a vibrant pink red colour. Very large flowers 20cm in width. Lovely fragrance.
Kansas is a herbaceous (soft-stemmed) peony. It is a shrubby perennial that, each year, will typically grow 90cm tall by mid spring.
It is a good cutting variety with strong straight stems.
It will have many blooms, display attractive foliage throughout the summer and early autumn, and then die to the ground after frost.
H: 90cm S: 60-75cm
Each ‘clump’ of rhizomes has 3 to 5 active eyes. Estimated size is like a group of medium size sweet potatoes. The rhizomes are mature and may even flower this coming November already.
- Plant in full sun or partial afternoon shade, in warmer areas.
- Peonies don’t like to sit in water so ensure the soil drains well.
- Add compost, lime (if your soil is acidic) and a handful of bone meal to the hole prior to planting.
- Plant with the eyes facing upwards no deeper than 3cm.
- When emerging in the early spring be aware of potential cut worms and treat if necessary.
- Do not mulch over the rhizome.
- Keep soil moist, even in the winter months do not allow the soil to completely dry out. If you are concerned with not enough cold once rhizome is dormant place a bag of ice on top of them once a week for 6 weeks.
- Feed with a tablespoon of 2:3:4 in early spring and early autumn.
- Keep an eye out for fungus, peonies are especially susceptible to botrytis particularly when in bud, spray with a copper fungicide when necessary.
- When watering avoid wetting leaves unnecessarily especially in the evening.
- They will die down naturally in winter after the first frosts, once the leaves have completely dried out cut them back and discard them.
- Do not lift and divide for at least 5 years and dividing is not essential as they will continue to thrive for many years without division.
- If wanting to divide after 5 years do so in the autumn.
- Allow enough space for growth a meter by a meter is good, avoid planting in close proximity to big trees as they don’t like to compete with other roots.
- You can cut flowers for the vase when the buds show colour and are soft when squeezed lightly (feels like a marshmallow) When picking ensure you leave sufficient leaves to allow the plant to feed itself for the next season.
- They do well in containers but ensure they are big enough – half wine barrel size is perfect. If then moving into the garden do this in autumn.