3 practical ways to keep peonies from flopping over, recommended by garden experts, for happier, stronger blooms

You can’t beat the gorgeous, fluffy flower of a peony, and being the peak peony season right now in the UK, now is the best time to enjoy these lovely flowers. If yours have gone all floppy, they can be more sad-looking than stunning. Luckily, garden experts have revealed three practical measures to stop your peonies from flopping over.

If you’ve dedicated hours of your time to growing peonies and nurturing them, then you'll see that the result is huge, showy blooms. Only these flowers can be disproportionately larger than the stem, causing the peony to look floppy.

Of course, you’ll want to follow best practice when considering where to plant peonies and how you water them, as having the right amount of sunlight, water, and nutrients means your peony’s stem will grow nice and thick. But if your blooms have started flopping over, these are three practical measures you can take to keep them upright and showy.

1. Use a peony cage

A physical barrier can be essential in preventing these blousy flowers from trailing onto the floor, and a peony cage, which you can buy on Amazon, is one of the best methods to do this.

‘A peony cage is a circular metal grid on top of four stakes. This needs to be placed over the plant early in its growing season, as this enables the stems to grow through the grid,’ explains Graham Smith MCIHort, a gardening expert from LBS Horticulture.

‘Peony cages are best used for plants in borders, as they keep the bloom stalks separated to give the illusion of a fuller, upright bouquet.’

Peony cages can be an expensive option, but they can last for decades if you look after them properly. You should also try to avoid putting a peony cage on a fully leafed plant, as you risk damaging the buds during the fitting process.

2. Use individual stakes

This method is great to use on blooming peonies as it doesn’t risk damaging the plant, so you can fit individual stakes (available from B&Q) at any time.

‘Basically, you need to insert a sturdy stake by the side of the stem you wish to support - this could be a bamboo cane, a slim wooden stake or a metal stake. When inserting the stake, ensure you don’t damage the crown or roots of the peony,’ explains Lucie Bradley, gardening expert at Easy Garden Irrigation.

‘You then need to use a soft tie - this could be jute twine, strips of material, garden tape or flexible ties - to connect the stem to the stake. Ideally, position the ties in two positions on the stake - lower down and closer to the bloom to ensure maximum support. Also, make sure the tie is secure but loose, leaving the stem space to grow.’

3. Try corralling

‘Corralling is the most cost-effective way to support peonies. Push four to six stakes into the ground around the perimeter of the plant, and consider using metal stakes if the plant is more than three years old to provide extra support,’ says Graham.

‘The larger the plant, the more support it will need. After inserting the stakes, use twine to create two loops around the plant, twisting the twine around each stake and pulling it taut so it supports the weight of the peony stems.’

This method is also less time-consuming compared to fitting individual stakes or cages. You can also adjust the number of stakes used and the tightness of twine depending on how much support your peonies need.

What you need

Have you tested any of this methods? Or do you have another way to keep peonies from flopping over?