About Swedish Touch Peonies

Grow & Order Peonies

General Information: NOTE: OUR MINIMUM ORDER HAS GONE TO 50 3/5 EYE ROOTS..(AT LEAST 25 per variety)

We ship healthy, generous, 3/5 eye divisions ready for a pot or planting into the ground. These plants have flowered, as three yr. olds in the field, however, you cannot expect that much bloom the first season after potting or planting. The first year bloom will be minimal, if any.

Every growing and digging season brings new challenges to us, and the peonies (due to the elements) . If for any reason a variety is not cutting well; we will contact you, before shipping, with recommended substitutions unless you choose not to. You will receive a confirmation shortly after ordering. If you decide to make any changes, it is as simple as calling , faxing, or emailing. We begin digging the 3 yr., field grown peonies in August, and shipping in early September. We fill orders on a first come, first serve, basis. Our crew works hard to get your order out to you the week of your confirmation.

Planting:

Peonies like well drained soil whether in a pot or in the ground.
This is what works for us in our small greenhouse operation. We mix about 1/3 compost pile, ( 1-2 years old) with a little new topsoil, to our perennial potting mix. If we feel it may be to heavy, we add vermiculite, pearlite, bark,or whatever we have on hand to assure proper drainage. Peonies prefer a soil ph of 6.5, to neutral, to moderately alkaline. While peonies are tolerant of many soil conditions, they WILL NOT survive in water logged soil. (never over water). You will have to water them when the pots dry out.

If your soil is properly enriched when planting, there is little need to fertilizing for a few years.(you know your soil, how it leaches, how much rain you've received or how much water you've applied) again, adjust accordingly. If you see the need to fertilize,use the recommended amount by volumn of the container ,or sq. footage of planting. Peonies like bone meal ,super phosphate, or commercial applications of similiar composition. When fertilizing, use discretion, as over fertilizing will effect the growth and limit blooms.Keep all fertilizer away from the crown, but incorporate into the soil around the perimeter (6-12') of the roots. To reach optimum results, fertilize directly after blooming season( late May/ early June for our area) An additional application of bone meal or super phosphate in September will add to spring bloom. If our peonies are in a pot more than a year, we incorporate a time release fertilizer (14-14-14) into the soil around the roots.

Our divisions are ready for planting or potting, and as soon as you receive your shipment they should be planted or stored properly until planting. If you do need to store for a period of time before planting, keep peony divisions in a cool place with damp, but not wet packing ---do not let them dry out. Cover peony divisions with about 2 inches of soil when planting or potting. Be sure to pack the soil, whether in a pot or in the ground, around each division to keep the roots from settling any deeper than the proper depth. For best growth we recommend 2 or 3 gallon pots. When planting in the ground, according to desired effects, plant the roots 2-4 feet apart.

The best time to plant the root divisions is early fall (before the ground freezes), however, peonies may be planted in late winter/ early spring ( March/ April).

When wintering the potted plants, we have mulched, covered with white plastic, layed the containers down, covered with a thermal blanket, and stored pots in a unheated poly house. There is a greater possibility of rhodent damage inside, (adjust your rhodent control accordingly) however, it's easier to control the elements inside! Whatever your choice is be sure to bait for rhodents, and keep the pots from freezing and thawing.

Cut off at the ground, and dispose of the drying foliage in the fall. This will help reduce the chance of spreading diseases.

It's good to spray a systemic fungicide, or bordeau mixture, at 7-10 day intervals as soon as the plant sprouts in early spring. This will help control leaf spot and botrytis. (especially in a wet spring) Fungicides will be available at your local garden center. Always follow application instructions.

Shipping:

The most reasonable way for us to ship is U.P.S. ground, unless, the order is large enough to ship frieght. If you prefer another mode of shipping; we are open to advice. We need your complete shipping (and mailing address if it is different), ship date request, and to know if you want color tags.

If you have a email address I will put it on file: as this makes for a speedier transaction, and communication process. (Nothing against parcel, but email is just easier!)

Please report shipping damage, or missing items, within 48 hours. We did have our "first" bad experience with UPS shipping this past season (one large box of roots was lost for two weeks..then found and delivered missing roots and dried out)...You will now have the option to add insurance (optional) cost is approx. 1% of the total cost of roots shipped. Example: a box containing roots $1,000.00 in value would cost $10.00 to insure, and that expense would be added to shippping expenses......If a box is lost or contents damaged; there would be grounds for a claim at that point. (What we found is, unless the box is insured, there isn't much we can do about it!!)

Payment:

Existing customers with established credit will be mailed a invoice, with shipping included, after the order ships, with a 30 day net from time of shipping. NEW CUSTOMERS will be invoiced complete with shipping charges AFTER THE ORDER IS BOXED AND WEIGHED..YOU WILL NEED TO GET A CHECK IN THE MAIL AT THAT TIME..(you will receive the 30 net from shipping date, AFTER THE FIRST YEARS TRANSACTIONS have gone without a hitch)....Our preference for payment is a company check. We accept master/visa , but you will need to add a 4% fee for the incurred merchant fee our company will pay for accepting this mode of payment.

Note: After the 30 day net terms expire, if the invoice is not paid, there will be interest charged at the rate of 12% on the amount still due......

If you are a new customer/company you will receive 30 day net AFTER THE FIRST YEARS TRANSACTIONS have gone smoothly, and we have had no issures. I WILL EMAIL YOU AN INVOICE complete with shipping AFTER YOUR ORDER IS BOXES AND WEIGHED, YOU CAN THEN GET A CHECK IN THE MAIL....THANKS