They are usually hard to come by commercially, the seeds of the peony. But here and there in the online trade you can find the seeds of some peony species. However, you also have the option of harvesting the seeds yourself if peonies are already growing in the garden.

Peony seeds should be sown as soon as possible after harvest

Season of seed ripening and harvest

Peony seeds are usually ripe when the foliage of the plant begins to turn reddish. This is the case long after the flowering period, around late summer. Don't wait too long to harvest the seeds! The ripe follicles burst open and the seeds can easily fall out.

The germination capacity dries up

Since the seeds quickly lose their germination capacity (especially if they dry out severely), it is best to sow them immediately. You should store them at most until next spring! Therefore, seeds from the trade are not particularly recommended for sowing.

External characteristics of the seeds

The fresh seeds are plump, shiny, dark brown to black in color. Its shape is difficult to describe. Each seed is unique. As a rule, they are partly rounded and partly angular. The corners are rounded and there are indentations.

Growing peonies from seed

Sowing peonies is not for the impatient. On the one hand, it sometimes takes up to 2 years for the seeds to germinate. On the other hand, it often takes 5 to 10 years until the first flowering. You should therefore think carefully about sowing as a propagation method!

The optimal time for sowing has come in autumn, immediately after the seeds have been harvested. Attention: The seeds are cold germs, which are only stimulated to germinate after a cold period of several weeks. You can do this without a fridge!

This is the easiest way to sow:

  • Fill the seed tray with loose, sandy soil
  • sow several seeds flat
  • Put seed trays outside
  • keep moderately moist
  • in spring: prick out as soon as germination is complete
  • place in a partially shaded location
  • plant out in autumn

tips

The leaves that emerge first are not the cotyledons. These are the first real leaves. The cotyledons are underground.

Category:

Vegetable garden