Quezi

peonies - courtesy DavidK-Oregon - CC-BY

Commercial growers dig their peonies in the fall and this is the best time of year to plant them in your garden.

Herbaceous peonies planted in the early fall will have opportunity to put out a number of feeder roots before the following spring. I’ve noticed in my Ohio garden that fall planted peonies have had several weeks of growing time before the ground freezes and will do better the following year.  But if you get a little bit behind, peonies can be planted right up until the ground freezes if necessary.  Peonies bought in the spring have been held over winter in storage. Planting them in the spring without letting them have fall feeder root growth puts the plants under severe stress.

Herbaceous peonies usually prefer cooler climates and are easily grown from USDA climate zones 3 through 8, though there has been some success reported from warmer regions.

Peonies are heavy feeders and do not like being moved so it is important that they are planted in good, fertile soil to begin with.

Root divisions should be planted in a hole deep enough that the highest crown bud is about two inches below the surface. Planting them too deeply will often prevent the plant from flowering.

For more information about growing peonies