It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year… Peony Season!
I’ve been sharing all my beautiful Peony blooms this early summer and I’ve had many messages asking for tips and tricks to get these Peonies to grow and bloom. Also where to buy, how to care for them etc. I’m going to let you all in on my big secret…
ALL of these Peonies were left behind from the previous owner. Better yet – she had a mini Peony farm going on here! My property used to have a Perennial Plant Business on it if you can believe it! So I’m one lucky gal inheriting all these beautiful blooms. However, I’ve done some research and have a few tips and trips to share from past experiences! Both mistakes and triumphs have lead me to gather the below information!
READ EVERYTHING 🙂 Don’t just skip ahead to the steps if you seriously transplanting!
TRANSPLANTING PEONIES
If you are planning to move a peony or dig up your grandmas peony then you NEED to know some facts. I’ll never forget first summer we moved into the house and I started moving Peonies in the middle of June on a hot summer day to then turn around and watch them all wilt and die off! I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.. who was I to think such a beautiful flower could just pick up and move without any consequences! Here is a quick guide:
SPRINGTIME
Not the most ideal time (Fall is!) but it can be done. In my experience you must try to transplant your peonies on a cloudy, cooler day (NOT hot and sunny and dry) to keep the stress level of your plant low.. bonus points if you can do it in the rain! You’ll need a big shovel, your working boots on, gloves and a spot ready in mind for you to move this plant to. The less time out of the soil the better! If you are planting into a pot to be then planted later.. make sure you have your pot prepped with some drainage at the bottom, light soil and then soil ready to fill back up. You can only dig up Peonies in the spring if the foliage has JUST started to poke through the ground BEFORE any leaves ‘open up’ If your Peony is still slightly dark in colour (usually deep red) with some leaves curled up ready to pop in a few days, then you’re okay to transplant!
- Dig up your plant. Dig and dig and dig straight down about 4-5” away from the plant until you can dig any deeper. It is crucial to not damage the eyes of the root. It’s best not to damage the root at all! However you can still chop the root down in size and the plant will still survive, but you must not damage the eyes of the plant (where the new growth is coming from).
- Start to dig under your plant ready to ‘pop out’ of the ground. Again, if you feel something strong in your way, good chance its the Peony root. Keep digging down!
- Once plant is out of ground, prep your hole if you haven’t done so already (this can be done before!) to be at least a couple inches bigger and deeper then what your plant needs. Peonies love full sun! TIP* if your plant has any weeds on it, try to pull the weeds out before replanting! You can thank me later!
- Lay the plant down ensuring the plant lies exactly how it did before, not to plant it too high or too low in the hole. Give your plant a good healthy watering (with nutrients if possible) before packing it in with soil!
- Pack your plant in, aerate the soil at the very base of your plant with your finger etc, and then your good to go!
- I would water once every few days if no rain to ensure the plant makes a healthy transition.
- NOTE* You may or may not get blooms from this plant for that current year. Sometimes Peonies are fussy. Don’t worry if you don’t see a bloom.. there will be 3 or 4 next year!!
FALL TIME
The BEST time to transplant! Your peony plant is ready to go dormant so you will have no problems moving your plant here as long as the above steps are followed carefully! Again, try to avoid transplanting on a hot sunny day, if you can do it in the rain.. even better! Make sure you mark your peonies as you may forget once you see your plants go dormant!
SOURCING PEONIES
You will not find these different varieties at your grocery store greenhouse. You must go to those good greenhouses privately owned and operated to get the good stuff. You will most likely be buying an already started plant, just ready to pop into the ground. If you want you can most likely source Peony roots online for direct shipping!! Talk to your greenhouse at the beginning of the season to see if they can be any help!
MAINTENCE & CARE
Peonies love the sun! Be sure to plant in full sun. Water a couple of times post planting/transplanting to ensure the plant has what it needs. Once blooms are done feel free to trim back to leave foliage for rest of summer (this is what I do!) . Your plant will go dormant in the Fall so leaving foliage is great to keep your plant protected all weekend and lets you find your peony in the early spring! Other then that.. they don’t need much care!
Enjoy those blooms!!
Talk soon,
Sam Xo
