Have to move peonies that are just waking up

9 years ago

Hello everyone!

Hooray for spring finally, FINALLY beginning - my peonies are all showing some new growth at the soil line. There are six ITOHs in a bed along my patio. As it happens, we were supposed to have a new patio laid last year but winter got to us before the contractors could. Now they've promised to have it in by the end of May. Here's my issue - the whole peony bed has to move. However, since we'll be ripping the existing patio out completely, I'll have a chance to dig as much as possible when I lift the plants. In any case, does anyone have insights or advice as to the best way to move them at this time of year? They'll almost certainly have to go into pots for a while during construction.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

lizbest1

9 years ago

I had to do the same thing when we did some landscaping a few years ago, redwolfdoc. Mine were actually further along, probably 18" or so high. Just try to dig far enough out and down to take out as much soil around the roots as possible so they're left undisturbed. If your peonies have been there a while that's going to be a really, really big rootball but it's worth it. If you don't break too many roots and treat them gently you could still get blooms this spring-I did when I had to move mine but they were fairly small plants that were only in place 2 years. Keep the pots watered, some shade would be good, too, more so than if they were going back in the ground right away since the pots will dry out faster.

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Comments (9)

fduk_gw UK zone 3 (US zone 8)
9 years ago
What lizbest1 said really. As large a rootball as possible, replant with the same soil level, keep well watered. I would personally use the existing soil in the pots with them as much as possible, and wouldn't use fertiliser till the fine feeder roots have had chance to re - establish.
redwolfdoc_z5 thanked fduk_gw UK zone 3 (US zone 8)
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Reading your post gives me hope for my boxed roots I bought at a Home Depot. However, I think I potted them up a day or two after buying them. I actually looked them over in their plastic bag before buying them because I was shopping in May and I hadn't seen them there before. Led me to believe they had been returned items as they were the only two there. My luck! They were also marked down along with the rest of the boxed perennials. I liked playing rescue gardener this summer; buying the last of the (even thogh better looking) leftovers. Now I have to do a bit of repotting and repositioning to give them less of this scorching Chicago sun! I know they won't bloom until next Spring if then. I'm just anxious to see what colors I'll have. They were four to a box and the pictures showed Sarah Bernhart, Festiva Maxima, Sorbet, and the Karl guy's :). As for more suggestions for your garden, do you have Sorbet? If you bought them boxed up you maaaaaay have had a Sorbet in it. There's also a new, rare breed out that is yellow but quite expensive. About $90 and up for one root with maybe 3-5 eyes. I can't remember it's name but it's the only pure yellow peony. I'm sure once I save up enough blood to sale I'll be able to buy one!
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redwolfdoc_z5
Original Author
9 years ago
So the deed is done. DH and I just spent an hour and a half carefully digging each peony out and potting them up. I kept as much of the dirt as possible so as not to disturb the roots, and I think I got almost the whole root ball for each one. They're all young plants - 1 to 2 years - so the root balls weren't too onerous. They're showing 1 or 2 inches of growth above soil level at this point. The contractors start tomorrow and the first thing they're doing is turning that bed into a raised concrete planter. As soon as that's in and cured I can re-plant.

BTW, the varieties are Bartzella, Julia Rose, Morning Lilac, Berry Garcia, Lollipop, and Old Rose Dandy. All ITOHs.

On a different note, does anyone have opinions (or photos) of Inspecteur Lavergne? I'm seriously drooling over it!
lizbest1
9 years ago
Got Inspecteur Lavergne last fall, just starting to grow. If it has blooms this spring I'll post some. Anyone else out there have one that's bloomed in previous years?

That mix of Itohs must be a very pretty, cheerful bed when it's blooming! All very nice choices (don't know if there is a bad one, though!).
redwolfdoc_z5
Original Author
9 years ago
Here's a silver lining - I have the opportunity to fully customize the soil mix to go into the planter box. It's to be 18" deep. What ratios would you all recommend to fill the planter box before putting the peonies back? I have access to anything really - black earth, compost, gravelly soil (from under the old patio), peat moss...
redwolfdoc_z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Update: All the peonies that had to be moved came through with flying colours! Didn't get blooms on all of them, but that's not surprising. Lollipop was a first-year plant anyways. Morning Lilac was a star - tons of blooms!

Their home (along with a few roses and iris) for four weeks:

Patio box in progess:

Finished job:

And some blooms! These are from last year, after they were replanted. Julia Rose, Berry Garcia and Old Rose Dandy were moved to a bed in the front of the house, and all bloomed, though the blooms were small and sparse. I can forgive them though!

Bartzella

Morning Lilac

I doubled up varieties in the planter this past fall so that end to end it goes ML, Bartzella, Lollipop, Bartzella, ML with a few sweet little standard dwarf irises in between. Man I can't wait for spring!

Karen
lizbest1
8 years ago
Congratulations, Karen! Looks like your peonies like their new home!
KarenPA_6b
8 years ago
What a beautiful setup to enjoy your garden! I am so happy that the plants came through. Where in the garden are your roses?
redwolfdoc_z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Karen, in the whole yard photo you can see a long straight bed running along the right hand fence. That's the north side and full sun, and most of my roses are there, mixed with many other perennials. There is also a centre circular bed - I expanded it just beyond where the new borders are marked in this photo. It's full to part sun and houses about a dozen roses, along with other stuff. Then there are three beds in the front yard that each have a few roses in them. So I guess I spread them out anywhere I can! Oh, and the lattice on the shed roof is for Bleu Magenta. It's shady at the ground level but full sun on top of the shed, so I converted our composter into a raised planter (it wasn't working well for compost anyhow) and now BM grows up and over the top of the shed each year. The pictures above were taken quite early in the season before anything leafed out, so it's very difficult to see the roses. :)

Have to move peonies that are just waking up

lizbest1

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fduk_gw UK zone 3 (US zone 8)

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Have to move peonies that are just waking up

lizbest1

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