How To Harvest Peonies for the Longest Vase Life & How to Dry Store Peonies For Later Use

Here's how to harvest peonies for the longest vase life. Peonies should be harvested when the buds have swelled and feel like a stale marshmallow when squeezed between your fingers. You will also notice that the sepals have started to pull slightly back from the petals at this time. If the bud feels hard like a marble when squeezed, it's too early for harvest and may not open in the vase. On the contrary, blooms that are allowed to fully open in the sun will only last 3-5 days and will shed their petals rapidly. A correctly harvested peony in marshmallow stage will fully open in 24-48 hours in a 68° F location.
Here's how to dry store peonies for later use. For dry storage, harvest the peonies in marshmallow stage and wrap bunches of ten in paper. Next, place the wrapped bunches in bulb crates alternating the peony head placement as you stack them. Then place the crates in your cooler at 34/35° F. Dry stored peonies can be held for 3-4 weeks.
When rehydrating dry stored peonies leave the paper wrapping around the stems until fully rehydrated. Remove only the amount you need from storage and cut one inch off the base of the stem. Then, place the wrapped peonies in a bucket of fresh clean water in a room temperature area. They will be fully rehydrated in a few hours and at that time the paper can be removed.