Perennials Advice needed on how to move Peony plants

[Raggedyman]

Raggedyann's mother passed 4 weeks ago and we're getting ready to put the house on the market. MIL had several large Peony plants that were incredibly beautiful, well established and incredibly healthy. there is a lot of sentimental value in these plants for Raggedyann and we'd like to move/transplant them from their current location to Raggedy acres. we're aware that the ideal time to move these mature plants (16 years in their current location) is actually the late September and into October time frame but we doubt the house will be listed that long.

assuming we HAD to move them before the ideal time this fall . . . COULD they be safely moved and be immediately transplanted AND if so is there anything special that needs to be done with them - either before, during or after they're dug? i.e. should they be split or pruned way back when transplanted?

any advice is appreciated . . . I want them to have the very best opportunity to thrive in their new home
many thanks

 

[packyderms_wife]

If they’ve bloomed already cut off the blossoms, cut back the foliage a wee bit, dig up, divide, and move to their new home, that is what we did. Peony’s are pretty tough, make sure to fertilize well when transplanting.

 

[Raggedyman]

thanks for that advice Packy! they just dropped their blooms . . . having lived where they're at for the past 16-18 yrs they are going to have huge root balls so even if I didn't want to divide them its probably going to be a MUST DO

 

[Jeff B.]

As PW says, Peonies are actually pretty tough. My wife put some into one of the flue tiles that I use for herbs, that I wanted to reclaim. The plant had one bud when I removed it and repotted it. It kept growing and bloomed.

If they been in place that long, you’ll likely need something like a drain Spade to cut the plants apart and get the root structure as best you can. I’d sharpen whatever you use with a file, which will help cutting through the roots.

Those plants must “like” where they are. Try to find a similar location to replant. Don’t be afraid to move them if they don’t appear to flourish. My mother was a big advocate of finding plants places that they “liked” to grow and prosper. Sometimes the place we’d LIKE a plant to grow isn’t where the plant likes to grow.

Jeff B.

 

[psychgirl]

I adore peonies especially the light pink blush colored ones!
My grandmother had them lining the long gravel driveway that went to their farmhouse.

Such a good memory and to this day I wait for my own Indiana state flower to bloom so I can make a huge bouquet in the kitchen! I’d love to have another one, actually. Mine are the hot pink color, which was mistakenly tagged at the nursery as the blush colored one.
I still love it!
Good luck moving your bushes, they’ll do just fine

 

[Raggedyman]

I like them too . . . these that were MIL's are half pink blush and half white. we already have a few of the pink ones at the front gate that were my grandmothers. I moved them here from Ohio in fall of '17; they've done well where there at. these from MIL are going into a bed made of RR ties across from my grandmothers on the opposite side of the road up to the house in front of our pipe gates

 

[seraphima]

I was taught that the secret to transplantng peonies is to replant them at the same level- not deeper, not higher. It has worked for me.

 

[Raggedyman]

many thanks seraphima!!!!!! very likely that we'll wait as long as possible to move them - Raggedyann's brother and SIL are involved in this too, so although I'm HOPING they'll get the house listed and sold before it all blows up, we're not completely sure when it will be ready to list.