sap preventing buds from opening on peony, sealing them

by Patty
(arlington, texas)

what can i do? too much sap is sealing the big beautiful buds on my potted peony, so they can't bloom.

Doug says relax. Peonies sometimes produce a lot of sap around the bloom but it shouldn't stop the bloom from opening. If you're "really" concerned, you can gently wash it off. But my experience is that it doesn't stop the bloom at all.