THE ONE QUESTION MORE FREQUENTLY ASKED AT THE 
PEONY GARDENS THAN ANY OTHER — 
‘^WHY DON’T MY PEONIES BLOOM?” 
BELOW ARE A FEW ANSWERS 
1. Drouth. They endure much drouth but there is a limit, 
2. Drowning. They drown very easily. 
3. There are annual bloomers, biennial, triennial, and up to octen¬ 
nial varieties that I have tried out. 
4. Soggy, sour soil. They require well drained, mellow soil in or¬ 
der to do well. 
5. Manure, roots, or litter in the soil, causing decay, 
6. Tree roots below and bluegrass above taking all the moisture 
and plant food from the soil, 
7. Sun scald. Some varieties especially are very susceptible to this. 
8. Date spring freezing after the buds have developed to a tender 
stage of growth. 
9. Garden nematode worms. Some soil is infested with these. 
10. Sugar beet nematode worms. Some soil is infested with these. 
11. Angleworms. Sometimes these become so numerous as to sour 
the soil, 
12. Plants too old and la,rge, causing starvation. 
13. Canker rot. 
14. Tip rot on roots. 
15. Crown rot. 
IG. Planted in soil where old peonies have grown. Rotation is abso¬ 
lutely necessary with peonies. 
17. Multi-stem. Cause unknown. 
18. Cutting off blooms or tops. If you want your peonies to bloom 
well, buy your bouquet from the other fellow and allow your 
blooms to ripen and fall naturally. 
19. Salt or salty water dumped on the ground, even years before. 
20. Carbide, slop, wash water, or any other foul substance dumped' 
on the ground. 
21. Non-acclimatiop. 
22. Proper modesty almost forbids the mention of one rank and very 
common cause of peony non-blooming and death; it is dear Fido. 
23. There are other causes which as yet I have been unable to fath¬ 
om. Peonies sometimes fail and I see no reason or evidence why. 
24. How to cure diseased plants -- If I had one diseased peony plant 
and no other I might doctor it, but if I had two and one was 
healthy I would dig the diseased plant very carefully in order 
to remove every root from the soil, and burn root and top. 
Herbert F. Warren 
The Peony Gardens —::— Trumbull, Nebraska 
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