Depends on how they're planted. If you're in an area with lots of rain you want to avoid creating areas for water to puddle, soggy peony roots are often rotted peony roots! If they're mounded and you can gently remove some soil I'd do it but I'd wait until I was sure all of the stems are up to make sure I wasn't damaging any later growing pieces, sometimes eyes can be even under the crown of the root and they'll find their way to the surface after most of the stems are up. I assume you planted them last fall or at least not this spring? The depth you have them at isn't that bad for your area, I'd think most people plant just an inch or so higher, just so they get more chance to chill during the winter. If you had a cold winter the extra soil isn't going to make a difference. Even if you had a warm winter they'll still grow but might not flower this year, might not have anyway depending on the size of the roots and many other factors. If you have mulch on them I'd definitely remove that now and wouldn't bother putting it back on unless you need it for moisture retention.

If planted too deep the plant itself with start extending growth upward. As lizbest suggest leave alone for now. Discovered this when I saw peonies sticking out of the dump area behind one of our churches where they were planning to extend the parking lot. Several of the plants were at least ten inches below soil surface and had been there several years. At the top the plants had about a four inch neck where it was trying to reach the surface.

Ok great thanks!

Keely Line, we just purchased land for our eventual retirement home and it's zone 8a as well. I look for forum members, here and on Garden.org, with that zone in anticipation! I plan to move at least a division of all of my peonies over the next few years and am avidly looking for any affirmation from others in that zone about their peony growth so PLEASE post pics of your peony's progress!

Liz,

My mom grows peony just a few streets over from my house. And she has a brown thumb lol. So they must be somewhat easy to grow here.

Reassuring, Keely Line! We won't be back in TX although I grew up just a few hours east of you in Jefferson. Our land is north of I-20 in Alabama, between Birmingham and Montgomery. I probably won't move more than a few plants since we won't be there much over the next few years; hopefully enough to be able to judge how to garden in the new zone, though!

If nothing else you can grow tree peonies in that area as that is near where Golden Port?? used to have there tree peonies which they gave to Auburn. The thing is not the zone but the soil and weather conditions which can cause problems.

I'll figure it out. I'm pretty sure they'll survive, that's the important thing. Given that and enough time I'll figure out how to get them cold enough long enough to get them to bloom as well. Might have to adopt out the latest blooming ones but I'll still have the majority of them flowering before I'm through!

I have a fb friend that has a nursery and lives in Anniston if you would like an introduction. You may already know Hays.

I don't know them, Maifleur, and would like that very much. I'm on FB as well, are you on any of the peony groups there? If so we're probably already on some of the same ones! Planet Peony, The Peony Society, Peony Growers?

I see you on Planet Peony all of the time. I posted that dark red rockii that many people drooled over.

I sent Hayes your information

Thanks maifleur! Rockii are the best, aren't they? Such cold tolerance and dramatic coloring....