Hi all --
I have an easy question: I planted some peonies last fall, the fall before, and the fall before that for a total of over dozen -- some were very large plants-- and mulched heavily this spring with shredded hardwood bark. My peonies didn't bloom and I suspect it's because they are planted too deeply.
Considering I need 3 inches minimum of mulch, how deep should I plant the peonies and when should I do my digging to reset them? Would I actually have part of the roots above ground???
Those are the big questions -- now for the nitty gritty.
#1 Do I cut the foliage back when I dig them up and reset them?
#2 How could I ammend the soil at the same time? I didn't realize it, but they are in really bad soil mixed with pea gravel for a very quick drain - possibly too quick.
#3 Do they need a lot of water after resetting?
#4 Any tips on this -- I kinda have a dozen and they are sort of big. I'm not looking forward to this and if I could sor to flift a corner and shove some compost under it without having to heave it up out of the hole, I wooudl be much happier!
Thanks,
Suzy
Mulch put me over the 2" planting depth
Wouldn't it be easier to pull the mulch away from the crowns?
Diann
That is what I would do! Pull the mulch back. If the soil is truly draining too quickly it seems like the foilage wouldn't be healthy looking. If the foilage is healthy they didn't bloom because there is too much soil on the crowns. Hope it works out.
When I planted mine I had the crowns sticking out of the ground about an inch (my cousins intruction). And this is what I got...My other's will be taken up this fall & I will set them the same way.
Music, very pretty! :)
Diann
Thanx, My daughter says it looks like it has a feather. But this is the one that my cousin gave me directions for planting. She has 2 green thumbs.
Ctindell & Ticker, There are a couple of reasons I'd like to replant. Maybe it will be one of those things that I'll do when I get round to it and I can scrape off the offending mulch until I do. They are planted up against the house and I might have put them too close together. And the soil is compressing where the foundation was dug, so I htink I'd better build that up for drainage purposes. Make sense?
Music -- Very pretty. You're a zone warmer, so maybe i can plat them exactly at soil height or 1/4 above. And probably not put as mulch down. LOL!
I'm not 100% sure they're getting enough sun, but I'm going to try raising them before worrying about that.
Thanks for the responses,
Suzy
Well, it sounds to me like you want to dig your peonies, so have at it. I've got four I will need to dig this fall myself. Digging peony is a major job, it's not like digging a hosta or a daylily. The ones I have to dig have been in the ground for over 20 years. I am not looking forward to doing it.
Diann
Wow, Diann, Sounds like you'd be a good person to know this fall! NO way you can pull up a peony plant that's been down 20 years without have lots and lots of pieces and parts breakoff!
Yes, you're right, I do want to dig my peonies. They ones I need to dig were a gift from a friend who was moving, but I wasn't ready for them when she had to get rid of them. It was either take them then, or see thm go to the new home buyer.
You know how touchy peonies can be if you try to move them at the wrong time, well, I just plunked them in to make them happy. I didn't go into detail before, but I put them against a wall on a house addition with basement we put on to the house. There was only one place I could put them because of the men and equipment that were buzzing everywhere (as well as the subsequent grading after the event). Free is free and I looooved those peonies!
Now I have 2 questions -- #1 what's the soonest (Indiana) I can dig them and have them be happy and #2 do they need a whole lot of water after they are reset or should I hold back water because they're dormant?
Suzy
You can dig come very late August (if it's not blazing hot) or in September or October for sure. When you dig them be sure to divide them because the plant will not be able to support it's self with that major of a root mass. It will do better all the way around if you divide them down to nice size divisions. 3 to 5 eye is what you get when you buy them, but you would most likely go a bit bigger for yourself.
I'm digging mine, because bindweed took over the bed they are in and we are trying to kill off the bindweed and to be effective at that I need to get those peony out of that bed. It's not going to be fun, because I'll have to go through each root section to make sure I'm not replanting any bindweed with the new divisions.. I am not looking forward to that. I've done it with about 20 daylily and several Siberian iris clumps. Now it's the peonies turn... odie well....
Diann
Okay, thank, I appreciate it -
That bindweed is a true menace, isn't it? I went through my neighbor's giant hosta bed yesterday pulling his bindweed before it bloomed. Otherwise, you know where the seedlings would end up -- at my place!
A landscape guy told me to roll the bind weed up in your left hand and spray with Round Up with your right hand. (This is in June when it's about 18 inches high) It didn't work AT ALL!
Suzy