Tree Peony Problems

Hi,

I recently bought two established peonies that looked fantastic with about 10 buds or so each. One of them is doing badly now. Buds are dying and leaves are wilting. If you trace back along these affected stems where they attach to the woody vertical stems they have rotted. See the top one here is all brown.



These stems are soft and rotten:



This is causing the buds on the end to slowly die then go rotten:





Other buds are really healthy and the stems of those emerging from the woody stems are firm and healthy.





I have removed all the bad stems and put them in the main waste bin. Very gutting to lose so many buds. Any idea on what it is and tips to avoid it? The tree peony is doing really well:

 

Mine aren't looking great, I don't think they've enjoyed the extreme wet we've had. They come from less soggy places

 

Could be paeony wilt? Peony wilt / RHS Gardening

 

Yes, I was thinking this. Sounds like a Bordeaux mix sorts this but not once it has set in unfortunately. Plenty state this works but RHS says there is no fix.

 

Probably because I dont think you can get Bordeaux mixture anymore.

 

Is there a reason for this? I can only find one on HD Chemicals

 

I would have recommended it, because it's certainly still available here in France, but hey ho. I've noticed that recently the RHS seems very short on solutions

 

Well dont quote me, but I think the EU banned it before we left and we obviously had to follow, but our lazy politicians have not reversed it.
Not much regarding chemicals available to the amateur these days, meanwhile the farmers carry on as usual.

 

I haven't seen any on sale for a while but the French recommend "purin de prêle" for fungal infections. Prêle is horsetail/marestail si it's good to have a use for it.

Like nettle and comfrey teas you can make your own.

1kilo fresh horsetail
9 litres of water

Combine the two in a plastic bucket - not metal - and leave for 2 weeks. Stir occasionally. It's ready when the water has gone black. It will smell so you may want a lid.

Strain the resulting liquid, put the goo on the compost heap and dilute the rest 1 part to 9 parts water and spray. Not harmful to plants or insects.

Good against mildew, rust, peach leaf curl, vine leaf blister and any fungal problems like black spot on roses so it may help with peony wilt which is another fungal problem.

The tea can be used as both a preventative and a cure.

 

You can buy Bordeaux mixture in UK (as separate chemical pots to mix yourself)

 

Just the opposite, sweetie It's still authorised for use in Europe but UK banned it. There are murmurings about it being banned here too, but, like glyphosate, there'll be another revolution if they try it. Apparently, a decoction of horse-tail fern makes a good fungicide.....

 

Bordeaux mixture - Wikipedia.

Its strange how France always manages to not abide by EU laws when it suits them.
"Because the copper ions build up in the soil, continuous use will cause heavy metal pollution. Copper also bioaccumulates in organisms. It is thus illegal to use in most European Union countries, with the exception of Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia.[1]"

 

So did the UK until 2016. Especially anything relating to employment laws, cucumbers and bananas

 

Your last sentence is one of my pet hates. I am surrounded by farms which is lovely but I get pretty angry when people talk about farmers being the custodians of the countryside. Certainly in my experience this is far from the truth. In these parts fertilisers are used willy nilly despite the fact that I have in the past asked on occasions as to the PH of the soil in this area. The responses have been blank expressions from the farmers so ended up doing my own soil tests. To my surprise we are not that acidic yet all my huge number of Rhododendron (including fussy species) Rhododendron,Azaleas, Camillias, Pieris etc don’t seem to mind.
Don’t even get me started on weedkillers which are used extensively by the farmers whether it is windy or not. 2 years ago about a mile of hedge row was decimated by a farmer spraying when windy. Looked like a blow torch had been used. I was not pleased as there were quite a few Gooseberry bushes in the hedgerow and I am very partial to a goosegog! All gone

 

@hailbopp I'm sorry you've had this experience because the five farmers I know are the exact opposite. It must be awful seeing this happen and feeling that there is nothing you can do about it.

There are strict rules that apply to spraying and if you feel that your local farmers are not complying - especially the farmer destroying hedgerows, you can report them to DEFRA or maybe contact the Farming Advice Service and discuss it with them first.

I would say the vast amount of farmers are responsible but the ones who aren't need to be held accountable. We, the general public, have every right to be a part of that process.