When to transplant a peony?

[CanadianLori]

A friend gave me a peony years ago and I now realize I put it in the totally wrong spot.

I heard that they should be divided in the fall but wondered if this applies to tranplanting the whole thing.

Many thanks for any help here?

 

[Beth_B]

I looked into this about a month ago because a friend has a small peony bush she doesn't want. What I read indicated that both dividing and planting are best done in fall, and that they can get fussy about being moved so including as much of the root ball and surrounding soil is important.

That's just from memory and I haven't re-checked my facts.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

I move over 20 peonies in the last 2 week and still have more dividing and moving to do. I wait until after they have bloomed and so far in the years I've been moving peonies I've haven't lost any. Just make sure that if you move them you will need to keep them from drying out, make sure you cut any old buds off and any thing that looks bad.

 

[CanadianLori]

Thank you for this advice. I really want to get it moved as I didn't realize that they need more sun than the amount it gets where it is now.
It has some blossoms still unopened - which by the way only a few open each year and lots of buds just sit there and die.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

Peonies will do OK in a filtered bed but for the most part they like lots of sun and a rich soil. I don't feed my peonies because of the rich soil they live in. Every year I cover the soil with leaves from the yard, just enough that crowns are covered but not to deep that they will rot, as the leaves rot they will enrich the soil. Every thing I've learned about came from a lady that gave me my first peony out of her Mothers peony garden, the garden is well over 100 years old that make me want to dig up my yard and just have peonies

 

[Beth_B]

This is good to know, that they can be transplanted any time. My friends' peony plant is getting peed on daily by their three big dogs and she's worried they'll drown it!

 

[Fernsdaddy]

This is good to know, that they can be transplanted any time. My friends' peony plant is getting peed on daily by their three big dogs and she's worried they'll drown it!

Its best to move them after they have bloomed, I would worry that the pee might burn the plants.

 

[Beth_B]

Thanks @Fernsdaddy, they're just about done blooming now so I'll get in trimmed back and moved over here soon. poor thing has held up and bloomed for two years of being "watered" by the dogs but it's not in a sunny enough spot and their soil isn't so good. I think it will do well here.

 

[Kata99]

the garden is well over 100 years old that make me want to dig up my yard and just have peonies

And what a beautiful sight that be be.

I tried for years with must be over a ten year period all told. My big mistake was because they did'nt flower the same year I use to recycle them......

Anyway I moved to a new town and planted another to see if the soil was any different, it flowered with two big buds this year but...its four years since it was planted.........

A community gardener once almost mowed it till told him his life was in danger if he did dare.

http://www.kelways.co.uk/category/herbaceous-peonies/2/


My very first Peonies 2015

 

[Fernsdaddy]

Kata99, I found the less you fuss with peonies the better they like it, Ever winter I mulch the peony bed after I've cut them back with shredded leaves and let them compost down to feed them and enrich the soil. If you have furry little bunnies in your yard they will fertilize you garden for you.

 

[DeborahJane]

I have one peony which gave me one flower last year. I hadn't realized how dreadful they look in their down time and I thought I'd killed it. It was completely hidden by daffodils but luckily my gardening friends told me not to give up and back it came. It's still small but the flower was lovely. Patience. Patience. Patience. Difficult hey?

 

[Fernsdaddy]

I have one peony which gave me one flower last year. I hadn't realized how dreadful they look in their down time and I thought I'd killed it. It was completely hidden by daffodils but luckily my gardening friends told me not to give up and back it came. It's still small but the flower was lovely. Patience. Patience. Patience. Difficult hey?

When peony die back for the winter their not much to look at, when the start to die I cut them down to about 1 inches from the ground and kind if forget about them, in time it will give you more flowers and the plant will spread out.

 

[DeborahJane]

Thanks. Will do

 

[DeborahJane]

Just checked. I have a tree peony. Do you still cut it back to 1 inch

 

[Fernsdaddy]

Please don't cut it back, it will bloom off the old wood as well as the new growth. All I do is trim some of the growth from the bottom so there is air movement to keep it from getting powdery mild dew. I keep my peony trees as a shrub, some like to trim them into a tree by just keeping one stock.
Pink peony tree