Thanks! She had promised it for this spring, so I sent a reminder in March. Sent more in April and early May. Then I got an advertising email that spring shipping was ending. That made me furious, so I sent a barrage of emails. I'm sure she sent it just to shut me up. But I'd spent a total of a couple hundred dollars with her altogether, so I felt justified.

I've never transplanted a peony, so I'm afraid of doing something wrong. What about potting the bare root and waiting til fall to make the transfer? If that's better for the one in the ground? I see potted peonies in nurseries all the time, but I don't know if they started from bareroot or a fresh division.

It's slightly tricky to keep a peony alive in a pot in my opinion. You'll want to put it in one bigger than the root would normally warrant and make sure the soil drains very well, rotting will take out your peony faster than just about anything. Keep it fairly shaded too, don't want the soil heating up. You COULD put it in a pot and sink the pot in the ground until fall in some shade, might be easier.

Hi guys, I have almost the same case, I wish I read this post before I moved my peony that I got last fall from the online nursery.I moved it because It was too small unlike my other peony and now its turn brown, it is dead? and I also got a replacement for my other peony and it will arrive by the end of this week, its 85 F here , what should I do? Im debating between plant it on the ground or should I plant it like Lizbest said ,put in the pot until fall? Linnea, what you do with your new bare root?

thanks

H’mm. I was sure that putting it in a pot was the answer. Considering
how many potted peonies you see in stores, I didn’t know it could be tricky.

Maybe I’ll just put it in a pot until this one is done blooming.
Maybe a week. Or can I hold a bare root for a week? It came packed in a sleeve
of slightly peat moss.

I think you cant wait anymore in summer time, usually its ok to put in fridge for couple days before you plant it in the Fall but in summer, Im not sure, Lizbest1 is the expert, lets wait for her.

It's always best to get it in the ground. Planting in the early spring is no problem at all, they'll grow just fine, but if it's really hot I'm not sure the roots will survive the summer. It seems to me, just from what I've experienced, peony roots are the most vulnerable going into and out of dormancy, they're pretty indestructible while actively growing and while completely dormant. Potted peonies in the stores and nurseries are protected from direct sun and the pots don't overheat--that's the big difference in potting them up at home. Your roots are breaking dormancy, I assume you're seeing growth from the eyes? I think your best bet is to get them into the ground and provide temporary shade until you see active growth, then start moving the shade away. I've used patio chairs to shade perennials when transplanting, they work great. Keep it damp but don't overwater, no standing water, and no mulch directly against any growth coming up.

And I'm not an expert, just someone who's grown peonies for several years. There are several people who routinely post here that are much more knowledgeable than me, hopefully if any of them have any better advice they'll chime in!

Thank you so much Lizbest1, I ll do that .

Thank you! This seems like the safest option now. Thank you for
explaining so thoroughly, I appreciate it.

Yes, it is breaking dormancy. I saw leaves when it arrived a week and half ago, and
they are longer now. I’ve kept it in the cool garage, but let it have some indirect
light from the open garage door in the daytime. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do…?

I have a holding bed that might be the best place for it. It was
my vegetable garden, before the trees grew up and made it too shady for vegetables.
There’s nothing in there now but a rhubarb. Any full sun it gets is brief, and
I have a wooden side table I can put over it. Its much nicer amended soft soil
there than any other place I could put it.

Assuming it does ok there and survives, when is the best time to make the
switch? Next spring?

I had someone move a 4 year peony for me last spring that was in
the wrong place after construction. It was just barely showing above ground. (I’d
just had surgery and hired a gardener for spring clean-up). The peony didn’t
miss a beat. This year it will bloom for the first time, it was in too much
shade before. She made it look easy, so I don’t remember details, like how wide
around the peony she dug.

I really appreciate your help!

I've had to move them before when they've first emerged and you're right, they normally don't skip a beat. A shady bed would probably be best this time of year, though. And you can move it again if you need to in the fall, once the foliage has died back and hopefully it'll do just fine. The main reason I'd give it that treatment is because most peonies in your zone would be blooming right now, not just emerging, hence the difference.