Peony has tan brown spots - Ask Extension
I have well established peonies in my garden. This spring a few brown spots of various sizes showed up on the leaves and stems. It bloomed just fine b...
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Peony has tan brown spots #277176
Asked September 10, 2015, 1:45 PM EDT
I have well established peonies in my garden. This spring a few brown spots of various sizes showed up on the leaves and stems. It bloomed just fine but through the out the summer all the plants were affected. My husband has always left the plant intact through the winter but now I think we should be cutting them back to the ground. What do you think?
Stearns County Minnesota
Expert Response
I consulted our diagnostic tool "What's wrong with my plant?" about peony leaf spots: http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/annualperennial/peony/leavesspots.html
This tool led me to this publication: http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/diseases-of-peony/
You'll see instructions in the "Management..." section of the publication. Sanitation - cleaning up dead plant debris and disposing of it in the fall - is one important step to reducing the occurrence of diseases. Others include spacing plants to allow for air circulation and watering at the base of the plant will also help.
This tool led me to this publication: http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/diseases-of-peony/
You'll see instructions in the "Management..." section of the publication. Sanitation - cleaning up dead plant debris and disposing of it in the fall - is one important step to reducing the occurrence of diseases. Others include spacing plants to allow for air circulation and watering at the base of the plant will also help.
