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lipotager

Emergency Tree Peony Transplant Quandry

lipotager
14 years ago

Hi,

I've checked the previous postings and haven't quite found an answer- 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. Now I see that that potting it may have been a mistake.

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 currently sits in only the soil it came with and potting soil.

2) If I transplant it, can 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.

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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