Christensen’s Peony Program
When I first started here at Christensen’s 14 years ago, we did a TON of our own production. We planted perennials, roses, and even hydrangeas. This huge potting schedule came with a part-time potting crew and lots of maintenance. As the years went on, and staff totals changed, so did our production load. Now we still plant perennials in spring and complete some up-canning (moving plants to bigger pots) around the nursery throughout the season.
One production item that has stayed consistent from my first season until this one is the fall potting of herbaceous peony (Paeonia). Every September, we receive bare root peony that's potted for the following summer.
We pot peony in-house for a variety of reasons. First, we do a great job! (in my humble opinion) We get high quality, 3-5 eye bare root varieties, in colors ranging from red, purple and white. They are potted in September, providing them a little heat to root out a bit before going to sleep.
Freshly potted, bare-root peony, soaking up the warmth of early fall.
A blanket and sheet of poly will be added on the top when temperatures drop and the nursery is "covered" for the winter.
The peonies are kept outside all winter, arranged pot-to-pot under a blanket and a piece of poly. In the spring, the peonies are the first plants to be cut open and spaced. This cycle, and keeping them outside, allows them to wake up as they naturally would in a Michigan spring. If over-wintered in a house, the heat would push them too early, making them weak and fragile. Come summer, we end up with a full, budded peony!
Peonies waking up
Another key reason to pot them ourselves is to keep the cost down for you, our customers. A finished peony on the open market costs a pretty penny. Potting them ourselves keeps the costs reasonable for us, and in turn for you!!
Christensen’s Peony Program is just another way we are working to give you the best product, at the most reasonable price! We hope that you enjoy our labor of love each and every spring/summer! Check out our peony availability come summer! If you are looking for a special variety, please check with your salesperson.
