Veseys

Gardeners’ Forum: “Moving peonies”

• Moving peonies

  Posted by Shirley on Friday, September 21, 2001 12:03 pm ADT

  I have a peony tree in my back garden that I would like to move to the front yard. When is the best time to do that? The tree itself is only two years old and about 3 feet high. Thanks so much.

  • re: Moving peonies

    Posted by M.Salsman on Monday, October 1, 2001 3:05 pm ADT

    I am not sure when the best time to move peonie tree type . But the best time to move the regular peonies is in September.I have a lot of peonies and I have had very good luck dividing and moving them in September

  • re: Moving peonies

    Posted by Jo-Anne on Tuesday, October 2, 2001 7:37 pm ADT

    Incidentally, I have heard that peonies do not flower for several years after moving, is this correct?

  • re: Moving peonies

    Posted by m.M.Salsman on Sunday, October 14, 2001 8:25 pm ADT

    .In reply to joann I have found that it takes about 3 years after dividing and moving peonies before they will blossom. If they are planted to deep they will not blossom. There should not be more than 1 1/2 inches of earth over the eyes.

  • re: Moving peonies

    Posted by sam on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 9:41 am AST

    I gave a peony bush to my friend Louise a few years ago. We dug it in September around the 15th. She took it home divided into two pieces. She planted it in the flower bed behind her house,facing north on the Bay of Fundy,where she once had a chicken coop. The following year,Eureka! 2 peony bushes, in bloom, as big as the one I had given her in the first place. I will ask her if she added anything special to the soil. Other than having, what one might say a really green thumb, I am not sure what she did but they did definitely bloom the next year.

  • re: Moving peonies

    Posted by Joanie on Sunday, March 17, 2002 6:24 pm AST

    Rotted chicken manure, you couldn't ask for a better soil, if nothing else I would use a lot of chicken manure and mushroom compost based upon that last response.

  • re: Moving peonies

    Posted by Sharon on Monday, March 3, 2003 2:18 am AST

    Hi, TREE peonies do not like to be moved. I would not attempt it unless it was absolutely necessary Bush peonies are not the same. You cannot divide tree peonies they are a woody shrub. I hope you did not attempt this with a tree this age. They are so beautiful and it would be a shame to lose one that is three years old. I wish I had read this before March 2003.

  • bush peony

    Posted by robin corry on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:14 pm ADT

    How disease & bug resistant are bush peonies. Do they only bloom May and June.