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When can I plant peonies?

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

I just had a "fit" and ordered 3 peonies (tubers, not seeds) from Amazon. I remember from my childhood that we had peonies and I decided that I wanted some. They are going to arrive soon, the latest the first week in June. I wasn't even thinking about the planting time (at the time I ordered them) but now I am wondering if I should plant them right away. I'm in Zone 7 (western Suffolk County, LI, NY) and I have a raised bed where I am planning to put them. I have raised tomatoes (Cherokee Purple) in this bed without any problems at all. As a matter of fact, they grow there fantastically well. I went to my local nursery and the owner gave me the idea of ordering peonies on line (she didn't have any) and also told me I could plant them at any time. I don't know how true this is and I was wondering if anyone knew for sure?

Also, I ordered one Itoh peony and it cost me roughly $50.00 with shipping. Did I pay too much?

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Comments (5)

AlexUnder
7 years ago
I am not sure whether you ordered bare roots ( who in their right mind will sell them at the moment ? ) or potted plants ? If you are getting potted peonies put them in much, much bigger pots and dappled/partial shade until fall. DO NOT OVERWATER ! In fall plant them - not sure where are you located - all major peony growers are providing instruction how to plant on their sites. If you are getting roots - bite the bullet and plant them anyway - they may be slow to establish for a year or two...
msgenie51642 thanked AlexUnder
xiangirl zone 4/5 Nebraska
7 years ago
It's a good "fit" to have! You'll have blooms for years and years. They might not bloom so great this year, but you'll enjoy them!
msgenie51642 thanked xiangirl zone 4/5 Nebraska
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lizbest1
7 years ago
It's late to plant bareroots in your zone now, msgenie, but I'd do it anyway. You'll want to provide it a bit more shade than if you'd planted it in the fall when it was dormant. It'll probably have growth on it and it might die back after planting but will make it if babied. Just plant them where they'd normally get full sun (but shade it some through the summer, morning sun is okay but not during the hottest part of the day) and the soil drains well. And $50 isn't a bad price for an Itoh depending on how big the root is. Itoh roots are more woody than herbaceous, you should notice a difference easily when they come in. You might want to post a pic of the roots before planting, lots of forum members have been burned by ebay buys. Hopefully you'll have good luck with yours.
msgenie51642 thanked lizbest1
msgenie51642
Original Author
7 years ago
I didn't buy any peonies on eBay, I got them on Amazon. Two out of three did look very healthy and had viable eyes. The Itoh I got on Amazon and it is a very large root with healthy-looking eyes, so I'm hoping for the best. Meanwhile, I became impatient and bought an Itoh potted plant at Home Depot for $59.99. It's absolutely beautiful with a lot of huge yellow flowers. It wasn't supposed to be yellow (going by a tag that was firmly attached with wire), but that's how it turned out when it started blooming! It still has a lot of big buds to go! Since I am older (almost 69), I don't plan ahead with plants because, well, you never know.
lizbest1
7 years ago
So are you seeing growth on the bareroots you got from Amazon, msgenie? It is really rare to get a bloom the same season on spring planted bareroots, it's happened only once for me and I plant in the spring every year. You could easily get them next spring, though. You'll have to post a picture of the one you got from Home Depot. I've read where several people have bought Bartzella or Garden Treasure from there, both of those are yellow.
msgenie51642 thanked lizbest1

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