The blossoms are truly, outrageously gorgeous. You'll find two primary types in commerce: herbaceous or bush peonies that have green shrubby stems between 1 and 3 feet tall and wide and tree peonies that have woody stems and can grow to 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide. var theDate=new Date() Begin by cutting off the peony stems near ground level. If you plant them too deep, they won’t grow or grow as well. All Rights Reserved. It may take two years for these three-eye divisions to become large enough to bloom again. First, dig up the plant. Get planting advice, garden design tips and trends, monthly checklists for your area, product specials and more in our weekly newsletter. ), both hardy from USDA zone 3 through 8, receive necessary chilling when planted in the fall at least six weeks before the ground freezes. — Patricia Christian, Branchburg, N.J. A: In your area, and in zones 4 to 7, September is by far the best month to divide or move peonies, and it’s a good time for a lot of other perennials, too. Transplant at will again after mid-August, when USDA zone 5 temperatures begin to moderate, until mid-October. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate your plant, holding your root with the eyes upwards and 1.5 – 2″ below soil level. Peonies do best in rich soil that’s been amended with organic material when you plant them. Start digging a good 18 inches away from the crown of the plant. In the Spring when the new growth starts to peek up thru the mulch is the best time to either transplant your peonies or split them to start another peonie plant. Here, in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 through 7, peonies bloom in either May or June. You can read more about planting and growing peonies here. On the fleshy crown you will see protruding dormant buds (“eyes”) that will be next spring’s red shoots. While it is technically possible to transplant them in spring or in summer before they go dormant, transplanting in those times is not recommended and seldom practiced because success is unpredictable and the flowering takes two to three years longer. On the ease-of-dividing scale, other perennials fall between the resiliency of daylilies and the fussiness of peonies. If you want to transplant a peony, ideally you should wait until fall when the plant dies back. Copyright This article will help get you started so you can be successful with moving your hydrangeas. Always transplant peonies (Paeonia lactiflora), hardy from USDA zone 3 through zone 8) in September so that they have time to establish their roots. Dig around the peony to be transplanted to lift it from the soil. Sure, you could wait to transplant misplaced perennials and bulbs until fall, when plants are done blooming, or early spring, when they’re just getting growing. Discover unique garden products curated by the Garden Design editors, plus items you can use to solve problems in your garden right now, and best sellers from around the web. These perennials are so tough you can move them anytime the ground isn’t frozen; they will rebound eventually. Tree Peonies. Light Peonies need a location that receives at least 6 hours of sun each day and a full day of sun is even better. Plant purchased perennials throughout spring until hot weather sets in anytime from mid-June through July. Perennials -- the lazy gardener’s best friends -- grow for at least three years in areas where they are hardy. Peonies divided in the spring grow very poorly. and lilies (Lilium spp. Space peonies 24 to 36 inches feet (61 to 91 cm.) All Rights Reserved. This depth is VERY IMPORTANT. and lilies (Lilium spp. Give them time. So, four to six weeks before hard frost, when the leaves begin to look ragged, cut back the foliage and dig up the plants. Replant the root divisions. Also if Adelman's get really early warm weather, the peonies bloom before they open the gardens. Knowing when to transplant your peonies is half the battle of a successful move. . Transplant Care. September is the best time to transplant established peonies. The root clumps of garden peonies (Paeonia officinalis) are typically divided and transplanted after the plants go dormant in late summer or early autumn. (The exceptions to this rule — fall-flowering plants such as asters and chrysanthemums — are best divided in the spring, which allows them time to recover before blooming.) But why wait? Transplant herbaceous perennial divisions in early spring, including daylilies (Hemerocallis spp. Then carefully dig around and under each plant. This is especially true when planting bare root peonies or when transplanting, but even when planting potted peonies, fall planting gives better results than spring planting. 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