Fall is for Planting
Once herbaceous peony
foliage yellows and fades, plants can be dug and divided. Dig up entire clump, which might be quite large, and place the thick horizontal rootstock next to the excavation site. Hose off soil. Cut the thick, woody root into sections with a sharp spade plunged through it (right), or use a sharp pruning saw. Each section should have four to six pink “eyes” pointing upward. Transplant pieces in various parts of the garden, or give them to friends.
But you don’t have to divide a peony at all – unless you want more of the same one in different places. Peonies, when planted and sited well, can live in the same place for years – 100 years or longer.
My guest, Roy Klehm of Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery, talks about fall planting, peonies and answer the question, “Why won’t my peony bloom?”
Tune in, download, upload, enjoy.
Click on the small black arrow at the left on the bar below to start listening, or click on the MP3 link to download the show into Windows Media Player or iTunes: