When to transplant peonies in spring or autumn 

In spring, bright, large peony buds are among the first to bloom, filling the air with a wonderful aroma. To provide them with abundant flowering every year, it is necessary to transplant peonies in time in the fall to another place.

There are two ways to propagate these flowers – using seeds and dividing the root. Gardeners consider the second method to be more optimal. If the time and place for transplanting are chosen correctly, the plants will bloom beautifully in a new place. For seven years, they can not be transplanted.

Site Selection

When choosing a place for a peony transplant, you need to pay attention to some points:

• peonies feel more comfortable in lighted areas, so you need to allocate an open place for the bushes, but protected from the wind;
• walls heated by the sun have a detrimental effect on flowers, so they should be transplanted in the fall no closer than two meters from the house;
• the site for transplanting bushes should be in an elevated place with light shade so that the transplanted bushes do not wither from the heat and at the same time receive sufficient lighting.

Peonies are quite unpretentious to the composition of the soil – they survive in both sandy and clay soils. But although the sand accelerates the flowering of bushes, they fall off faster, and the high content of clay in the ground delays flowering. Therefore, it is better to monitor their optimal ratio. Peonies grow best in loamy soils.

Well preparation

Pits for planting peonies should be prepared two to three weeks before planting:

• the more spacious they are, the more powerful the root system will become;
• between the bushes you need to leave a distance of about a meter for the circulation of fresh air;
• the root of the plant should fit freely in the hole;
• as a drainage, the bottom can be laid out with a layer of pebbles or broken bricks mixed with chopped twigs, and covered with prepared earthen mixture;
• it is necessary to ensure good watering of the hole so that the soil settles sufficiently;
• add some nitrogen and phosphorus compounds into the hole – they will be enough to feed the transplanted peonies in the first years after transplantation.

Transplant timing

Many doubt when to transplant peonies, in spring or autumn. The correct choice of timing is of great importance, since both seasons are suitable for transplanting them.

1. Some beginners find it possible to transplant flowers in the summer after flowering, but in this case they take root much harder and may not bloom for a year or two. Often the roots of the plant dug out in the summer die from sunburn or are damaged.
2. During the spring transplant, the bushes will not bloom this season either, as they will need to adapt in a new place. If there is a need for a spring transplant, it is better to do this in early spring, before the vegetation process of the plant begins. Spring transplantation should be carried out immediately after the snow melts, and the division and pruning of the root in the spring cannot be done – after all, the bushes already get stressed, and they still have to take root in another place.

   

3. The most suitable period when it is better to transplant peonies is the end of summer – the beginning of autumn. At this time, the heat subsides, and moderate watering will ensure the rapid development of the root system. A strong root will give the transplanted bush good nutrition. But the main advantage of the autumn peony transplant is that at this time it has already formed thin young roots, with the help of which nutrients are absorbed.

Peony transplant

After the place has been prepared and the earth has settled well, it is important to transplant the peonies correctly. For work, it is better to choose a dry, but not hot day without sun.

1. Before the autumn transplantation, it is necessary to prune the bush to a height of 20 cm. Then very carefully dig out the peony bush, prying it with a pitchfork. You can not dig too close to the trunk, otherwise you can damage the roots and young shoots.
2. From the dug out bush, you need to carefully, with your hands, remove the clods of earth, but you can’t shake it and even more so beat it against something. The video shows the process of dividing the peony root system:
   Peony transplant. Site “Garden world”

3. Carefully inspect the roots, remove damaged or rotten ones and treat the roots with a solution of potassium permanganate.

   

4. If you hold the bush in the shade for 2-3 hours before planting, then the roots will become more elastic and will no longer be too fragile.
5. If the bush is simply transplanted, you need to carefully transfer it to the hole, straighten the roots, cover with earth and lightly tamp.

Peony propagation in autumn

Как пересадить пионы, если корневая система уже хорошо разрослась и требуется ее разделить? Для этого нужно использовать предварительно обеззараженный острый секатор или нож. Делению подлежат корни, на которых имеется не менее шести почек. Чуть подсушенный корень разрезается таким образом, чтобы на каждой части оставалось по три почки. После деления каждую часть следует обмакнуть в обеззараживающий раствор или смазать места срезов золой.

When transplanting the prepared material into the wells, the root should not be deepened – a depth of up to 9 centimeters is enough. The kidneys should be left on the surface, and then sprinkled on top of them with fertile soil 5-6 centimeters high. The transplanted peony bush should be well watered. Before the onset of frost, another 2-3 waterings are required. But you can not allow too abundant watering – the roots can rot. You can mulch the bush for the winter with foliage and cover with cardboard.

The video shows the process of correct pion transplantation:

After transplantation

Experienced gardeners are advised to prune the flowers that appear in the first year after the autumn transplant. This will allow the plant to grow stronger faster and give abundant flowering next year.

If the peony bush has stopped blooming after transplanting, the following reasons are possible:

• in a new place there is a lack of sunlight;
• if groundwater comes close to the soil surface, and there is no drainage, the peony roots may rot;
• perhaps the plant was transplanted too deep, which delayed its flowering;
• if during reproduction the root was divided into too small parts, you will have to wait several years until it gains strength for flowering;
• frequent replanting of bushes weakens them, so it is recommended to transplant no more than once every 5-7 years;
• возможно, пионам не хватает питания и следует их подкормить.

autumn peonies pruning

Beginning gardeners usually make the mistake of pruning peony bushes as soon as they bloom. During this period, the bushes should not be touched, because buds are laid in them, which will ensure flowering in the next season. Pruning should be carried out in the fall, when preparing the bush for wintering, and two weeks after the end of flowering, it is better to feed the peony with phosphorus and potassium compounds.

Proper pruning requires the following guidelines:

the optimal time for autumn pruning is the last week of October or the very beginning of November, depending on the region;

• earlier pruning will greatly weaken the plants and may even cause their death;
• the bush is cut off completely, at the level of the ground surface;
• if there is no rain during this period, watering should be carried out around the bush;
• cuttings of twigs or leaves left at the site of the procedure will begin to rot and cause infection and subsequent diseases of the peony, so they should be immediately collected and destroyed;
• после обрезки можно подкормить растение древесной золой.

Peonies are unpretentious. If you follow the proposed recommendations, then every year lush beautiful buds will flaunt in the flower beds.