Cutting Back Herbaceous Peonies in Fall With Bypass Hand Pruners: Stems to Ground Level After a Hard Freeze to Limit Botrytis
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Peony foliage looks tired by October, often spotted with brown blotches. Those leaves and stems carry the fungus that blights next spring's shoots and buds, so the fall cutback is a disease job as much as a tidy-up. When and how far should you cut back peonies in fall? Cut herbaceous peonies back after a hard freeze has killed the foliage, usually late October or early November. Cut every stem at or near ground level, then rake up and remove the leaves and debris underneath. Do not compost it if the plants had leaf disease. Iowa State University Extension's peony foliage FAQ says to cut back after a hard freeze , generally late October or early November in Iowa. It says plants cut back in August or early September may have fewer blooms. Ohio State University's Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine article on peony cleanup says to cu...