How To Transplant Peonies

The root clumps of garden peonies Paeonia officinalis are typically divided and transplanted after the plants go dormant in late summer or early autumn.

How to transplant peonies. Dig the transplant hole 24 inches wide and 18 inches deep in a full sun location that has good drainage. The woody trunk will extend above the soil. While it is technically possible to transplant them in spring or in summer before they go dormant transplanting in those times is not recommended and seldom practiced because success is unpredictable and the flowering takes two to three years longer.

Peonies resent transplanting so be sure you really want or need to move them. Peonies often fail to bloom satisfactorily if the buds are more than 2 inches deep Fill the hole with soil firming the soil around the plant as you backfill. Neither sticky clay nor sandy gravel will yield a healthy peony but the cure for both situations is the same.

In each division you need to have three to five eyes or growing points. Cutting back the top provides something to hold on to in the transplant process and is also a step toward winterizing peonies. Choose a planting site with full sun six to eight hours per day except in Southern and Southwestern regions where afternoon shade is ideal.

Replant the root divisions. Amending the soil with compost. Choose the right location for transplanting.

Water well after planting. The month of September gives the roots time to settle in and grow before frost hardens the ground. Prying the peony out of the ground will result in a damaged root system.

Start digging a good 18 inches away from the crown of the plant. First dig up the plant. Begin by cutting the peony stems near ground level.