Northeast Gardening: moving a peony, 0 by gardenmart

gardenmart wrote:
I always have done iris divisions after blooming, which for the majority of my tall beardeds will be in mid june as they are out there blooming gangbusters this week. I have dug up iris rhizomes for swaps, etc earlier when I am taking rhizomes that did not bloom the previous year. I had to move a bunch because I planted them in the wrong direction and they kept growing into the wall of the iris bed but they were non- blooming. I moved 'Batik' in october last year because my son was putting down mulch and Batik had always hated the spot where I had it. So I lifted it and put it down with its brethren and sistren and lo and behold it is about to bloom the first of several blossoms on its little plant. I also missed some of the rhizomes which came up in the old spot and I am going to go dig them up and put them down with their companion today or tomorrow. My son weedwacks the nasty foliage off of them all at fall cleanup time. they get bone meal in early spring.
My tree peony {see the picture} was also put in the ground in fall last year after sitting in the plastic pot it came in all summer in the deep shade. It went into the spot vacated by 'Batik'. It had buds on it when I got it {won it in a raffle, actually} and I didn't want to disturb the blooming by planting it out. I put it in, and it was buried in snow for a good portion of our fabulous {ugh} snowy winter and looked like a dead stick for the better part of that time. It's out there now with three gorgeous flowers on and a new shoot.
herbaceous peonies need to be planted at the proper depth. too deep and you may kill it and the wrong depth certainly will keep the survivors from flowering. My son moved some stuff near one of my established plants and mounded up the soil. I am going to have to go out and uncover the eyes because I have a nice green plant but no buds this year. Also, the divisions can pick up the botrytis blight through the cuts and may have caused your peony division's demise. Peonies are fussy, but when you get it right, they are totally rewarding.
This year's tree peony blossom #1 below.
Martha