Small peony this year - just mine - is something wrong?

I have a peony plant (the pride of my garden) that I planted 12 years ago. I do not remember the variety, but I do know that my great-grandma used to grow the same color. The best way for me to describe it is the color of the Crayola crayon called Violet (not quite pink, not quite purple, not quite red). It is definately a double, a deeply saturated color, and the pom-pom top fades to a dusty rose color.

Anyway, the plant was huge and produced up to 60+ blooms the size of softballs for the past three years. This year, the plant is about 2/3 of it's previous size, only about 40 blooms, and the blooms are the size baseballs, not softballs. It also bloomed later than usual, it usually blooms in the second week of May, this year it fully bloomed this week. Has this been a bad year for peonies weather-wise, or do I have more pressing issues?

The first spring after planting, a two year bedded peony root will make one or more stems 6" or more high. normal growth is low and only one stem appears. It may bloom and it may not. Do not worry if it does not. Many growers do not allow a plant to bloom the first year. If you allow the plant to bloom, cut the flower as soon as it fades directly below the bloom. Do not allow seed to form. First year peony blooms rarely give a true picture of the variety. The second year, the number of stems is usually double the number that came the first year. Growth is taller. If there are blooms, they are nearer normal. Cut all blooms immediately after flowering, with short stems. Some varieties take several years to produce normal flowers. The third year growth generally doubles that of the second year. Blooms should be normal in every way. Do not cut the stems too long. While the finest flowers are produced from plants 4-10 years old, many varieties have been known to give exhibition blooms for 20 or more years. Plants that have been well cared for will even outlive the gardener. If they are forced into abnormal growth by the use of stimulants, they will give out in a few years.

Why do peony fail to bloom?
There are many reasons, but here are the most common:

Plants are too young and immature. Let them develop.
Plants are planted too deep. Plant top root eyes at or slightly above soil level.
Large clumps planted without proper division. Dig, divide into small or standard divisions and plant.
Plants have too much competition from surrounding trees and shrubs.
Plants have too much shade which encourages tall leafy plants and no blooms. Move.
Too much nitrogen was applied which encourages foliage not flowers. Phosphorous or potassium will strengthen roots.
Plants are undernourished. Buds show, but do not develop. Fertilize to add strength.
Buds killed by late frost.
Excessively hot weather. Late, full double varieties often fail from this cause.
Buds attacked by thrips will turn brown and fall. Spray to prevent this.
Buds that become water logged will turn brown and refuse to open. Bagging would help.
Ground is too dry. Water down to the bottom of roots.
Roots infected with nematodes or root-knot. Destroy.

Thanks for the information, Loon! The part that really struck me was the finest flowers are produced at 4-10 years of age. Since the original plant was in a 2 gallon container (thinking a 2 year old plant?), and I have had it for 12 years, I am thinking that it may be getting past it's prime blooming years. If I divide the plant into two smaller plants, will it be considered two 'young' plants, or just two 12 year old plants? After looking at many pictures online, I am thinking I have a "Kansas."

Digging and Dividing Peonies
http://www.americanpeonysociety.org/index.php?moduleId=cgkcUjNV&articleId=FxmX7w8O
By Henry Chotkowski
1. About Divisions
The easiest and most time honored way of propagating herbaceous peony cultivars true to name is by root division. This entails the digging up of an existing mature plant and splitting the root mass into pieces consisting of both lower root tissue and upper crown tissue from which small pink bullet shaped nodes known as eyes emerge. The largest of these eyes should produce stems for the coming spring if the bare root division is planted back in a proper and timely manner.

Three to five year old plants yield the most and best root divisions. Plants that are candidates for third year division are ones that develop a large number of eyes rapidly. A high stem count on a third year bush corresponds to lots of eyes below. Many of the single lactifloras, cactus types, and some Anemone and Japanese types such as 'Prairie Afire' and 'Nippon Gold' meet this criterion. The red hybrid 'America' can also be divided at this time, if stem count warrants. The bulk of lactifloras and hybrids are ready for division within four years. 'Robert W. Auten' and 'John Harvard' need even more time to develop a viable root system to yield good divisions. Some lactifloras such as 'Carl G. Klehm' and 'Summer Glow' produce full complex double flowers and correspondingly large roots but increase so slowly that they may also need an extra year's growth.

The standard root division is a piece of crown possessing three to five eyes with two or three maturing attendant roots. Ideally these are healthy unblemished three or four-year old roots, around 3/4" in diameter, trimmed to 6 to 8 inches long. This is ample root length and volume to possess enough stored nutrients to maintain any underground development during the fall and winter and to sustain the vigorous growth spurt that culminates, we hope, with flowering in the spring. Some suggest that too much stored energy (i.e. an overabundance of root) per eye can inhibit the formation of new roots vital for the plant to thrive, resulting in decreased performance within a few years.

Although both the length and number of stems develop at different rates from cultivar to cultivar, there are enough eyes in a standard root division that an archetypical plant should be manifest by the third or fourth season. It's almost impossible to divide a plant without getting some substandard divisions, ones delinquent in the desired number of eyes and /or lacking an adequate root structure. Do not be discouraged. These can be planted back and with extra care to assure ideal conditions the first year and a bit of additional time thereafter, should develop into typical flowering bushes.

For the home gardener or landscape architect not interested in maximizing root production, fewer but larger root divisions may be desirable. A double sized, six to ten eyed division with proportionally more root can impact the landscape more immediately than a standard root division, although over time the resultant bushes will largely be indistinguishable from one another. With double sized divisions care must be given for adequate spacing amongst the roots and underneath the crown to assure room for new root formation. It's best not to divide old plants, which tend to have eyes fewer and farther apart and where extensive root rot may be present, into double sized divisions. Fresh stock from three to five years old plants is best.

2. The Basics
Root division is best done in autumn, from Labor Day through to early December, ground willing. For the easiest digging with the least possibility of inadvertent root damage, the soil should be well drained but moist. Both extremely dry and extremely wet soils pose their own problems and digging is best not attempted under these conditions.

Start by cutting back the plant stems to an inch or two above ground level. Facing the plant and with a sharp edged shovel or garden spade cut straight down into the ground about 6 inches from the plant and continue cutting down and moving around the plant until you have completely encircled it. Make one or two more passes around the plant cutting deeper and more angled beneath the plant to a depth of at least 14 inches. When you've reached that depth, begin prying the plant upward. As you make your way around the plant you will hear the sound of roots snapping. This is good. After all roots have been either severed or snapped off, lift the plant with the shovel and remove it from its hole. Carefully turn the plant over so it rests on its stems. Dislodge as much dirt from amongst the roots as possible. Any device can be used here such as a screw driver or a wooden stick. Broken shovel handles, shortened to 12 inches and tapered at one end were dubbed "fids" by Myron Bigger and his family and employed specifically for this task.

A word of caution: When first dug, plant roots are very brittle and break easily. Care must be taken when dislodging dirt or lifting, moving and setting down the plant. At this point do not lift up or carry the plant by holding onto its stems. The plant is still heavily laden with dirt and the risk of tearing off the stems with pieces of crown from the roots is great. If necessary to move to a different place for washing, the plant should be picked up from underneath.

Wash the root mass thoroughly with a high powered hose and nozzle, clearing out all pockets of dirt obscured by roots beneath the crown. Air dry in a cool, shaded locale. Some of the more experienced peony propagators prefer to begin dividing the root ball at this point while the roots are still fragile. For the beginner, it may be best to let the roots cure for 24 hours as they will become rubbery and more supple with less possibility of inadvertent root breakage.

When you are ready to divide, have on hand the following: a pair of long-nose, wide opening, hand pruners, two long and wide (at least 9" by 2" at its widest) pointed stainless steel knives, a short (3") thick stainless steel moderately edged knife, various size rubber bands or twine, and optional plastic tags and a magic marker. Many propagators are advocates of the use of extra sharp, thin paring knives which can be quite dangerous to the uninitiated. Others believe that duller, thick bladed knives are fully sufficient for cutting through and prying roots apart, scraping out root rot, and contrary to accepted notions of sharpness and safety, are less likely to cause accident to both propagator and propagatee.

Count the number of eyes to get a rough estimate of how many divisions you can extract from the plant. Before any cuts are made, rotate the root mass about to determine how the crown separates into smaller crowns and how the main roots attach to them. Inspect the smaller crowns more closely, determining precisely on which ones the eyes are located. This is important, especially with older plants that may have eyes emerging from below and overgrowing top roots that can obscure their origin. Let these observations guide in forming the basic strategies you will use to break down the root mass into smaller manageable sections of crown and attached root.

As you handle the root mass, one or more root/crown sections may wiggle when gently pulled or twisted indicating a poor attachment to the main body of roots . In younger plants this is usually due to healthy connective tissue that can be naturally thin. In older plants root rot and progressively degenerating crowns are the mitigating factors.

Try to determine where the loose root/crown section is attached to the main root mass and with the appropriate sized knife cut into the roots at that point. Sometimes this point is obvious, but many times it is not, with the connection area hidden from view. This initial cut usually comes through the top of the plant between two crowns or from the side between roots. If after the first cut the section does not detach, leverage the blade and by waggling the knife blade back and forth and/or by twisting the blade in screwdriver fashion, attempt to pry off the section. Prying allows for the seen and unseen forces and structure of the peony roots to aid in the dividing process as roots tend to split along natural lines. It also lessens the chance of accidentally slicing off the wrong root. If the section still has not detached, carefully twist the section about to determine why it is still attached. Make another cut where you think is an appropriate spot for detachment and repeat the process until the section is secured. Sometimes a section may become detached but still be held in place by surrounding and intermingling roots. If it can not be worked free by hand, cut out the least consequential restraining root or roots that will release the section.

With very large, very mature lactifloras, a more wilful approach can be taken. Start by sinking two long and wide knives, side by side, down the spent center of the root mass. By pulling on both, one against the other, pry the roots in two. Proceed from there concentrating your efforts on the outer margin of each of the halves where the healthiest, most desirable divisions occur.

As you go along, wash away any newly uncovered pockets of dirt. Repeat the cutting, twisting and prying process, until you have divided the plant into manageable root/crown sections. The number of eyes and their location on the crown and the attendant root structure should become more obvious.

In all probability, each root/crown section will need to be split apart again. Again determine how the roots attach to the crown by rotating the section about, gently tugging and twisting as you observe it from various angles. Beneath the crown older roots may have become compressed together over time to appear as one solid root mass. Take notice for they may or may not be connected, and their attachment to the crown difficult to decipher. Cutting at this stage, by necessity, will become more surgical and exacting.

Sometimes it's advantageous to make the initial cut through the crown, separating the desired number of eyes from one another and proceeding downward to the roots from there. Often old root must be part of the division to retain the requisite younger roots coming off of it. Sometimes just one snip will release an accessible division, while at other times elaborate cuts through and around old roots and new are required. The key is to always envision the ideal end result of a standard division and proceed accordingly.

When the roots are finally divided, you will have what will become standard divisions and in all likelihood, some substandard divisions as well. Using your clippers, cut off any smaller inconsequential roots, any larger older roots, all rotted, damaged or disfigured roots, and crossing roots from the potentially standard divisions. Try to retain the two or three roots that are distanced farthest apart and flare out from the crown. Create an empty space directly beneath the crown for new root growth by removing as much of the residual old root stem that is feasible. Pull off all thin fibrous feeder rootlets and pare off any root knots that may harbor nematodes. Scrape out all root rot. On older plants remove as much of the spent crown tissue as possible, it will be full of holes left from previous years' stems and is non-regenerative. Trim the ends of your main roots to a length of 6 to 8 inches, and at an angle of 45 degree to 60 degree. Roots trimmed to this length and slightly shorter encourage new roots to be struck off of the crown. Cutting at a 45 degree to 60 degree angle reputedly discourages the formation of a witches' broom by roots struck off of the cut. If a root vital to the division is almost severed and its connection tenuous, it nevertheless will still feed the division and should be secured with rubber bands or twine. To assure future identification write the name of the cultivar on a plastic tag with a magic marker and tie it onto one of the roots.

Wash all the divisions again. You may want to immerse them in a dip solution of Bordeaux mix or a comparable coating type fungicide and water. If so, take them out after ten minutes and let them dry in a cool and shady place and check to make sure the entire surface has been coated by the fungicide. In either case, if the divisions are not planted in due time, store in an almost perfectly dry medium. Peat moss from a freshly opened plastic wrapped bale has just the right moisture content. Put divisions and peat moss in a plastic bag, tied one quarter open in the initial stages of storage to allow for some air circulation. Store divisions in a moderately cool, dry, protected spot until ready to plant. Some cultivars such as 'Faith Fenton', 'Red Red Rose', and 'Dutch Dwarf' seem not store well in less than optimal conditions so check every week or so to see if roots have developed any rot, and if they have, cut off to the point where healthy root begins.

In the North, plant the division with eyes skyward, 2 inches below the soil surface. Mulch can be applied to help prevent the root from heaving out of the ground by moderating the alternate actions of freezing and thawing. Farther south plant the division shallower at 1 - 2 inches deep. This will allow the eyes to receive the requisite amount of cold temperature hours for the plant to flower. In the southernmost limits of peonydom, such as upper Louisiana, leave the eyes exposed just above the surface when planted in the fall. Apply a mulch when foliage first emerges in the spring to protect the exposed crown from drying out and deteriorating over the summer. Uncover again in mid fall.

3. Extracting a Single Division In Situ
Digging out a single or a few separate divisions from an old lactiflora peony plant in situ is a risky venture and not something recommended by most growers. Besides the potential damage to the mother plant, the major drawback is that there is no way of truly knowing the state of the roots or how they are configured. As most lactifloras age, their crowns expand outward to the perimeter of the plant creating space amongst themselves, while their trunks remain in place more beneath the center. Old roots rot and the production of new roots emerging from the crowns slows down, sometimes to the point of oblivion. The removal of a discrete portion of a plant in situ without butchering whatever roots lie below is, in and of itself, a daunting task. Trying to secure a single division in this manner commonly results in crowns that are severed from their main root or crowns with their most propitious roots snapped off.

But then again, sometimes it works out satisfactorily. Look for a close grouping of a few stems that is the most isolated from the rest of the plant and on its perimeter. If the stems angle slightly outward away from one another, this may be further indication that they all originate from a single crown. Cut the stems back on this grouping and sink a trench shovel deep down between it and the center of the plant, in an effort to sever the connection between the two. This cut must be close to the center and far enough away from the grouping to retain some of the main root. Dig deeply and carefully around the grouping to completely detach it. Lift up and process as with any other division. For the health of the mother plant, remove all the dirt and broken roots from the vacancy you've created and replenish with good fresh dirt.

4. Special Considerations
Just as herbaceous peony cultivars are different in so many ways above the ground, so too they are below. Slowly increasing lactifloras that produce large, fully developed, double flowers often have an accompanying root system comprised of fewer but exceptionally larger roots. A ten-year old plant of 'Jayhawker', a fully transformed pink bomb, matures to not much more than a dozen stems. Its roots are very thick and long, running well beneath the crown. An individual crown will have three or four eyes of varying sizes with the largest eye producing a stem the coming season, the next largest eye the season after that and the smallest eyes three seasons hence. 'Jayhawker' takes extra time to get established, but is easily divided at five years, with three eyed divisions, the right size for maximum production. Others of similar type and temperament are 'Festiva Supreme', 'Moon River' and 'Summer Glow'.

Conversely, rapidly increasing lactiflora cultivars with smaller, less transformed blooms tend to have a denser root system with thinner roots. The pink heirloom 'Amabilis'', produces a myriad of medium-sized, loosely constructed double blooms on stems of average strength. Above ground, a ten-year old plant matures to seventy stems with little evidence of any dying out at the center and below ground, to a moderately deep but wide mare's nest of roots that borders on the impenetrable. Unlike most lactiflora cultivars, 'Amabalis' still develops scads of eyes on old crowns. Because of its sheer weight and mass, an old plant of 'Amabalis' can be difficult to dig up. Sink a shovel down through the middle of the plant to split it first, and then remove each half separately. Otherwise divide after three years for maximum production and before its root system gets too unruly.

'Peppermint'' lies somewhere in between these extremes, with double white flowers exhibiting some residual carpel formation and with stamens revealed at the end of the bloom cycle, features consistent with less than fully transformed doubles. It matures to thirty stems or so with die back in the middle of the plant. Uniform sized roots are well spaced and easy to manoeuvre around. A four-year old plant is a snap to divide, able to offer up a half dozen or more standard divisions, each one separable by a single obvious cut. 'Myra MacRae' and 'Florence Nichols' with their deep and hemispherical root systems are of similar ilk.

The vigorous late blooming red double 'Sir John Franklin' maintains a spacious and easily divided root system well into maturity and is extremely resistant to root rot. While the roots of most peonies of comparable age are compacted and starting to deteriorate, an eight-year old specimen of 'Sir John Franklin' showed absolutely no signs of such, yielding thirteen superlative divisions with long unblemished roots. At the other end of the spectrum is the near white, double flowered 'Pinnacle' (Bigger 1970), a cultivar prone to root disease. Calvin Bigger lets on that 'Pinnacle' must be divided and rejuvenated every number of years or "it just peters out and dies".

'White Cap' is totally unlike any other lactiflora in that it grows from a single huge root/trunk, topped with crowns branching off of it. Above ground it acts like a standard Anemone or Japanese type, developing rapidly in terms of height, breadth, and stem count, and seemingly ready for division in three or four years. But below ground, though the crowns are primed and chock full of eyes, additional time must be allowed for it to develop roots that originate off of the main root/trunk. Only then can the main root/trunk be split longitudinally in multiple sections with these side roots attached and crown on top. A similar cutting strategy is employed when dividing the less eyed hybrid 'Old Faithful'.

5. Dividing Hybrid Peonies
Most hybrids selected from crosses involving lactiflora cultivars x officinalis cultivars present unique challenges for the propagator, with 'Diana Parks' being most illustrative. Its roots become thick and tuberous with age, but as they connect to the crown they remain thin, tapering to as little as 1/16". These thin connecting sections of the root are fibrous, and while not as brittle as the body of the root, are still susceptible to damage caused by twisting and manhandling. Crown areas are very small, particularly in more juvenile plants, accommodating no more than a stem and a few basal eyes. Roots wrap around this amalgamated stem/crown, growing underneath and over one another often obscuring their point of origin. The nexus between stem and root, particularly on younger plants, can be truly mystifying.

Over time its crowns expand and differentiate forming their own radially symmetrical root systems. Older plants may not yield significantly more divisions than young ones, but their divisions will be far more realized in all respects and simpler to secure.

Before dividing, take the time to really understand how the root system is put together. Do not even consider making any 'exploratory' cuts. The margin of error here is so very small that any miscalculation can show up with shocking and dismaying suddenness as snippets of eyed stem and bunches of worthless blind root. Even with successful division, rubber bands or twine might be needed to stabilize tenuous connections and hold roots in place.

'Diana Parks' along with other hybrids such as 'Walter Mains' and 'Red Grace', also form eyes on the underground portion of its stems, especially when planted too deeply. If a stem is thick enough it can be split lengthwise right down through the crown, dividing eyes and roots equally between both pieces. Or sometimes a small division can be procured with an expert cut detaching the entire stem with sufficient roots from the rest of an eyed crown. On more mature plants a crown area can develop below the original crown with accompanying stems growing through roots that lie above. One deft horizontal cut beneath the original crown can separate the two.

There is great diversity within the hybrids. The extraordinary, compact "flower within a flower" bloom of 'Edgar Jessup' is certainly reason enough for it to have been introduced by its hybridist William Bockstoce. That it is much less than vigorous, weak stemmed, and small in stature is reflected below ground with a sparsely populated, entangled and spindly, diminutive root system that does not cede very good divisions.

In contrast 'Postillion', a 3' tall, big flowered, thick stemmed bush capable of spreading to 3 1/2 feet at maturity, is supported by roots that are long and large, and exhibits an excellent root to crown ratio. 'Scarlet O'Hara' posts similar above ground dimensions while sporting thick, pipe shaped, roots that reputedly reach up to 4 feet in length. 'Illini Warrior', a hybrid of similar lineage, is another large and spreading bush with big spreading roots. So too is 'Dad', noted for forming fewer but larger eyes per crown, often not more that two or three. All are relatively easy to divide at four years and older.

6. Propagating Species and Hybrids That Strike Adventitious Roots
Paeonia peregrina and P. tenuifolia are species whose roots, along with those of many of their hybrid progeny can be adventitious; meaning that when detached or severed from their crowns and no longer under their hormonal influence, these roots can strike eyes on their own and eventually regenerate crown tissue.

Adventitious roots can develop viable eyes in as little as two months, given moderate temperatures, proper moisture and a loamy soil. Revisiting a vacancy left by a peony unearthed before Labor Day can find broken and severed roots with newly formed eyes in November. These eyes can form anywhere along the root, at the ends or in the middle, as a single bud or in clusters. Storing adventitious root cuttings in peat moss for a few months (as described above for herbaceous divisions) can also stimulate eye and callus formation.

To create a propagation bed for adventitious roots, choose a spot with excellent drainage, and in the South, one that is protected from direct sunlight during the heat of the day. Line fair-sized roots out horizontally and parallel to one another at 4 to 6 inch intervals in rows one foot apart. Plant at a depth of 2 inches in the South and twice as deep in the North with an additional 4 inch layer of wood chip mulch.

If eyes are mature enough they will sprout short, thin, above ground shoots the next spring. Totally blind or callused roots may develop eyes over the summer and emerge the following spring. Always maintain optimal conditions with weeding and watering during dry spells, especially if the bed is not mulched. Within three or four years plants will have formed their own crowns with attendant root systems equal to that of a standard division. Plants mature enough to produce two or three fully grown stems in the spring can be dug in the fall and replanted in their permanent position

Hybrids vary in their capacity to strike adventitious roots and produce standard divisions. The root systems of mature specimens of 'Lovely Rose', 'Grace Root', and 'Sophie' are fragile and barely hold together. When being cleaned and divided, one or two standard divisions may be obtained, while the bulk of the root zone falls apart into single roots and substandard divisions. All three cultivars are considered by some to be more profitably propagated by adventitious root than by division with Sophie being the most able to strike adventitious eyes on roots while still in situ.

'Cytherea' has a scrawny, branching root system that with precision cutting can yield an adequate number of serviceable divisions from four-year old plants. Given the same amount of time, plants equal to or better than standard divisions can be created by adventitious roots, forgoing the entire division process and thus reducing the incident of root loss or damage.

The small red double 'Viking Valor' is exceptionally vigorous and easily grown by adventitious root. A five year old plant grown from a single thin 5 inch long, one-eyed root proved highly productive, yielding six full, though slightly tortured looking standard divisions.

The big red flowered hybrid 'Carina' is a very slow but steady increaser, adding an extra stem or two while expanding in width every year. Eyes form throughout the upper part of the plant, with many stems emerging from below, up and through its long, dark brown, shallow roots. Mature specimens are easy to divide.

The hybrid 'Coral Sunset' has a relatively flat, light colored root system that if given the right conditions can produce a wealth of long, carrot shaped roots. Crowns are small, seemingly little more than the interstices of where radial roots meet and eyes pop up. Mature specimens divide readily into standard divisions with any excess roots, at the propagator's discretion, peeled from the crown and planted individually in propagation beds. Within two years after division, plantlets of 'Coral Sunset'' will emerge from the severed roots that lie uppermost in the undisturbed area around where the mother plant was unearthed. 'Coral Charm', a product of the same breeding program, exhibits similar traits but with a deeper root system.

Besides producing bunches of small, bulbous, and potentially adventitious roots, P. tenuifolia is also stoloniferous in that underground horizontal runners shoot off of the crown and form miniature versions of the mother plant at their terminus. These plantlets, complete with crown and nourishing root system, can be detached and grown to size far more quickly than detached adventitious roots. Since species P. tenuifolia yields very few standard divisions, replanting plantlets and adventitious roots is the most economical means of propagation for the professional grower.

Some fernleaf hybrids such as 'Earlybird' (Paeonia woodwardii x P. tenuifolia) and 'Merry Mayshine' can be divided by normal division with satisfactory results. The same holds true for 'Early Scout' (Lactiflora 'Richard Carvel' x P. tenuifolia) and may in fact be the propagator's only option; though reputed by its originator Edward Auten to have inherited the stoloniferous habit of its pollen parent, 'Early Scout' did not inherit its adventitious habit.

Out of the thousands of lactiflora cultivars, there are probably no more than half a dozen that strike adventitious roots. The deep-black red double 'Highlight' is as prolific as most P. peregrina hybrids. Other lactifloras of Japanese flower form have been speculated to be adventitious, but usually weakly so, forming eyes only under the most favorable circumstances. Single rogue plants of 'Westerner' have been observed by growers, both past and present, growing in near proximity to where a like plant was dug years prior. Whether this is evidence of adventitiousness is still a point of conjecture.

7. Dividing Itoh Hybrids
Although Itoh hybrids are considered herbaceous in that their non-woody top growth dies back every fall, they differ from their herbaceous parents in their ability to form eyes directly on their stems just above ground level. Their underground anatomy differs also, more closely resembling that of their Lutea hybrid parents. Their roots for example, are long thin, and tapered with a tough woody core much like tree peony roots. Young crowns take the form of underground stems, cordlike and elongate, fully capable of producing eyes singly or in clusters along its length. Crowns are branching in the sense that given sufficient time their eyes will mature into extended stems (crowns) with their own set of contigent roots. Well developed formations of extended stem (crown) and roots are fully self-sustaining when separated from the main body of the plant and make for excellent divisions

Begin division by cutting back the stems to just above the last viable mature stem eye, somewhere around two to three inches above ground level. These stem eyes may remain viable in more southern climes where the chance of lower stem die back is less. Follow the general directions per digging tree peonies as described below only starting closer to the plant at around 8 inches.

A hacksaw and a pair of long-nose, wide opening hand pruners are the best tools for sawing and clipping through the Itoh hybrids' tough, fibrous crown tissue. A sharp knife can be employed but be extremely careful as it requires great force to make cuts of this kind. In general it's best to let individual crowns remain intact, while retaining as many attached roots as possible. The tendency for crowns to branch allows for a simple severing of the connective underground stem to procure good divisions. Occasionally eyes and roots will form on crown tissue that lies beneath the main body of the original planting and can be excised with care for a viable division. Any broken or cracked roots that have been incurred during division should be trimmed at the point of damage. Scrape off any root rot.

In some cases, the ultra-vigorous 'Bartzella' and 'Scarlet Heaven' can be divided every two years. For less vigorous Itohs such as 'Old Rose Dandy', three-year plants make better candidates. With older Itohs, large resistant roots become difficult to cut and crown and stem tissue dense and hard to penetrate. Older plants usually end up yielding multi-eyed divisions larger in size, yet not much larger in number.

Plant Itohs hybrids with all noticeable eyes in a zone 2 to 4 inches (1 to 3 inches in clayey soil) below ground level if it's to be in a permanent location or slightly deeper if further propagation is planned. Orient elongate stems with emergent eyes parallel to the ground at a depth of 2 inches or at worst at a shallow diagonal angling downward, as this will encourage rootlet development around the eyes. Point all roots downward and outward. In the South try to position any retained stem eyes below ground