How to Replant Peonies
Peonies are members of the Paeonia genus and are popular plants because of their abundant blooms in the early summer. They only bloom for a couple of weeks each year, but many gardeners have multiple varieties that bloom at different times. Gardeners will frequently wish to replant peonies to other areas when they mature.
- Moderately Challenging
Things You’ll Need
- Garden trowel
- Choose a new site that has full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Peonies may grow better with an hour or two of shade in the afternoon if they’re near the southern limit of their range.
- Loosen the soil at the new site and add a layer of compost to prepare for replanting. Peonies need rich, well-drained soil to produce the best possible blooms. You should also apply fertilizer if the soil is primarily sandy.
- Water the plant thoroughly the night before you replant to ensure the soil will be moist. Dig well away from the central plant to ensure you get as much of the extensive root system as possible. Cut off the leaves with a sharp knife and wash the root ball. Cut the peony into sections so that each division has at least five eye buds. Plant the division in the new location and cover the eye buds with less than 2 inches of soil.
Tips & Warnings
Replant mature peonies in the fall. Peonies grow best in hardiness zones three through eight. Peonies need a climate where the average minimum temperature each year ranges from -12 to -40 degrees Celsius. They must have a cold winter to enter a dormant state, which will allow them to grow well the following spring. Apply mulch in the first winter and add fertilizer in the spring, especially if the cuttings are in sandy soil. Water them thoroughly without allowing water to accumulate in the soil.