If peonies look sick in spring, one thing is usually to blame: gray mold. If you don't fight it right away, your peonies will die.
Almost every hobby gardener has probably discovered gray mold on their peonies at some point. This is a fungus that occurs mainly in spring. Especially when the humidity is particularly high. The fungus can then become really dangerous for the plant. And this doesn't just apply to peonies. If you are not careful, you will ensure that the gray mold can continue to multiply. So that it doesn't get that far in the first place, we will now explain to you exactly how an infestation with gray mold manifests itself, how you can prevent it and what you have to do if your peonies are infested with it.
How does gray mold manifest itself?
If your peonies are affected by gray mold, you will notice it relatively quickly. Typical signs are:
- young leaves wilt very quickly
- Wet rot on stem base
- Bud rot where buds turn brown and/or fall off
- Mouldy lawn around the peony
So take a look at your peonies more often in the spring. This is the only way to prevent the fungus from spreading further.
How to prevent an infestation?
To prevent gray mold on your peonies, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
- Make sure the soil is loose so that the water does not accumulate.
- It is best to use a low-nitrogen soil.
- Do not use manure as fertilizer.
- Do not water the leaves.
- In fall, cut back the leaves as low as possible.
- Remove winter mulch in spring.
- Loosen heavy soils with sand.
- Always choose a sunny spot.
How to fight gray mold?
Unfortunately, despite all preventive measures, it can happen from time to time that your peonies suffer from a gray mold infestation. If you notice the first signs, then you mustBe sure to act quickly and cut back the affected parts until you get into the he althy area. Then dispose of the diseased parts of the plant with the household waste and not with the compost. If you were to dispose of the infested parts of the plant in the compost, the fungus would continue to multiply with the compost soil and infect other plants.