two peonies, one in the front blooms, the one in the back doesn’t??

Question

Front yard is North facing, the Peony there was planted in the fall of ’16. It has bloomed last year and this year. The buds are covered in ants. The one in the back is on the west facing wall. It popped up out the ground the first spring I was in the house, 2015. The first couple of years it formed buds but then they would blacken and die. Last year someone told me it might be too deep, so I raised it up last fall. This spring it formed a few buds but this time the whole leave that the bud was on blackened and died. I think they both get about the same amount of sun and the soil is the same. Please Help??

Answer 1

It sounds, to me, like the one covered in ants may have an aphid problem. Ants farm aphids, so this is usually a sign of an infection. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/homemade-aphid-control.htm

The one that is turning black is, more than likely, lacking in phosphorus and potassium. A bloom formula will be helpful here. You could also, simply, apply potassium phosphate according to the instructions. It seems to have been jostled quite a bit lately, so this will take time to recover, as well.

This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/peony/why-your-peony-buds-but-never-flowers.htmhttps://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/peony/why-your-peony-buds-but-never-flowers.htm