Ants to Make Peonies Bloom
WouterUsing ants to make peonies bloom is not necessary. However, it can be beneficial. The ants help to protect the peony by feeding on the sugary nectar secreted by the flowers. They also help to ward off other pests and insects.
Peonies have special glands called extrafloral nectaries, which secrete nectar. The glands are tiny and are located on the green sepals of the flower. The flower buds are also covered in a sticky substance.
Ants help peonies bloom by eating the nectar, but they are not needed for the flowers to open. If you want to harvest peonies, you should pick them when the buds are in the marshmallow stage. This is when the buds are soft enough to squeeze, and the ants are not yet established in the petals.
There are several ways to remove ants from peonies. The easiest and most effective method is to shake the buds. You can also pick them early and bring them inside, or leave them to bloom inside.
Another option is to dip the buds in warm water, and shake them. This will ward off ants, but it may hurt beneficial insects.
You can also spray the buds with a garden hose. This method will kill the ants, but it won’t hurt the petals. If you want to try something other than water, try a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. This may be a good way to get rid of the ants without damaging the peony.
