Transplant Quandry, Cross-posted on 'Peonies' forum

14 years ago

Hi,

I've searched previous postings and haven't quite found the answers I need - I know you knowledgable folks can give me some good advice.

In a now-or-never move, I dug up my grandfather's tree peony (variety unknown) in Wisconsin and transported it to New York in the bed of our truck, with a dry towel wrapped loosely around the roots and a garbage bag around the leaves to protect them from the wind. It was a two-day journey back, and we arrived home at midnight last night. In an attempt to make it slightly more comfortable after its journey, we quickly stuck it in a large pot with some organic potting soil and watered it (moderately) before we went to bed, with plans to put it in a permanent home this afternoon.

This plant has huge sentimental value. Grandpa was so proud of his peony. I really want to save it, and I know nothing about peonies or about tranplanting, for that matter. Please help!

Here are my specific questions, and any extra advice would be appreciated:

1) Should I transplant it to a nice hole with compost this afternoon, or must I leave it in its pot to avoid shocking it again? It has only been in potting soil for 12 hours after its 30 hour journey.

2) If I transplant it, should I give it a spray with fish emulsion or seaweed emulsion?

3) In the process of moving it from its truck spot to the pot, a big chunk of the roots fell off. :-(( Can I plant the roots that detatched themselves?? Currently, they are laying open to air, on my porch. Should I somehow divide the shrub, so that there is less shrub for the remaining roots?

4) What are these 'eyes' I see mentioned in the transplanting discussions? I also dug up some regular (not tree) peonies as well- do the eyes only occur on regular peonies?

Apologies for the long post, and really, any advice will be appreciated.

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
i fear you have an option of killing it with too much love..

GET IT IN THE GROUND ASAP!!!!

mother earth.. is the best place to hold over stock ...

then you have a month or two to figure out all the variables .. to plant it properly... but it would probably be best if you just put it where you want it ... why dig it up again if you can avoid it....

what is your native soil ...

can you protect or shade it??

what is the soil drainage ...

and forget about ferts and sprays...

the plant is in shock.. no need to rescue it.. to shock it again in a month ... just get it done..

if the soil is anything but clay .....dig hole.. loosen soil ... insert plant at proper depth ... refill halfway ... tamp in lightly .... fill with water.. let drain out... refill the rest.. tamp in lightly.. but firmly .. and water again.. add shade if possible ... add mulch.. and keep properly watered for about 2 years.. water when your index finger.. inserted to the 2nd knuckle.. indicates it is hot or dry .. most plants need to nearly dry in between waterings ...

if clay.. advise.. other options ...

i would have preferred if you had waited until it was dormant.. but as you said.. sometimes.. you just gotta do what ya gotta do ... dont worry about it ... its hours from winter in WI anyway.. lol ... and i wouldnt be surprised if all the leaves fall off soon based on the fact that it is mid-spetember.. dont worry about that.. its all about those buds on the tips .... if they stay firm you will win ...

if you can take care of business without over-thinking it.. or killing it with too much love.. you ought to be all set ... i usually horrify peeps who watch me .. when i just rip something out of the ground.. and stick it somewhere else.. and then water it properly.. but otherwise ignore it ...no over-thinking it here.. lol.. JUST DO IT

now go seize the day.. or tree peony .. lol [i guess you already did.. lol] .. now let go of it ....

ken

ps: what did i miss gal?? lol

pps: i potted and moved one .. over-wintered in the pot ... and it made it.. they arent as foo foo as you might think ....
lipotager
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for weighing in. I was already pretty inclined to go ahead with putting it in the ground, so will do that this PM.

The soil is sandy, and drains well.

Providing a little shade will not be a problem- it will, in fact, be getting too much shade. We have mature trees all around. No getting away from them, although they are locusts and walnuts, so the leaves are high up and don't create a dense shade.

I'm concerned about the black walnuts, because I think we've lost other plants to juglone poisoning, but again, the BWs are there, like it or not, so I'll just try to find a spot that gets some sun and is as far from the BWs as possible. (There isn't really such a spot. We do the best we can, right?)Wish me luck!

Thanks again - I am, indeed, *counting* on them not being as foo-foo as everybody thinks! (lol)
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diggerdee zone 6 CT
14 years ago
Ken, you said, "i would have preferred if you had waited until it was dormant..."

Now I'm confused. Isn't September supposed to be the best time to move peonies? I've waited all year to move some and was going to do it next week. Should I wait?

Lipotager, thanks for asking this question, as I don't have any experience at all with peonies and this will be my first time moving them. I'm also going to be getting a division from a plant that was in my great-grandmother's garden soon, so that one is really making me nervous, lol!(It's okay Ken - I do yoga so I will breathe and relax, lol!)

Good luck with your peonies!
:)
Dee
gardenfanatic2003
14 years ago
If you didn't cut back the foliage before you dug it up, you should do that now as well - about half the foliage. That way the plant will suffer less stress in keeping as much foliage.

FYI, taking a plant out of a pot and planting it in the ground is never stressful for the plant. Just the opposite. They're much happier in the ground.

And in the future, when moving bareroot plants, a damp towel wrapped around the roots would be better than a dry one. You don't want the roots to dry out.

Deanna

Transplant Quandry, Cross-posted on 'Peonies' forum

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Transplant Quandry, Cross-posted on 'Peonies' forum

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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