Transplanting Peonies: Location & Timing

The garden is being redesigned or the peony no longer has enough space in its place? We share helpful tips on transplanting your peonies.

Before the peonies (Paeonia) crowd out other plants in their place in the garden with their dimensions, it is better to transplant the former to a new location. We have summarized for you here when the peony should best be transplanted and what conditions the new location should have.

Transplanting peonies: the choice of location

In order for the peonies to live for many years in their future place, it must be well chosen. However, there are differences between the shrub and perennial peony that should be noted. The location of the tree peony is the more complicated of the two: it should be airy and free, but not characterized by a cold draft. A windbreak in the back of the plant is beneficial here, even if this means that you cannot look at it from all sides. In deep shade, the plants will wither, so the sun should shine on them at least half of the day. Tip: In areas with severe late frosts, the tree peony should never be planted in the morning sun, as the rapid thawing phase in the early sun puts a lot of strain on the young shoots.

Another important factor is the space size. At least 1m² should include the location of a tree peony, because species like the Paeonia delavayi becomes a good 5 m wide. In addition to the right pH value (6.0 - 8.0), sufficient drainage is also essential. Waterlogging is an immense stress factor for every tree peony. If the existing soil contains a high proportion of sand, its effect is sufficient. In the case of heavy clay soils, however, it is advisable to loosen them up and mix in sand.

In contrast, perennial peonies cause significantly fewer headaches when choosing a location. Their tolerance range is from loamy to light soil and from calcareous to slightly acidic (pH 5-6) soil. The perennial peonies prefer a sunny location, but also bloom in semi-shade. The only important factor is that the planting hole needs to be worked two spades deep below the root ball and may need to be improved as perennial peonies develop deep roots quickly.

When to transplant peonies?

First of all, it should be said that there are no fundamental differences between perennial and tree peonies in terms of the timing of transplanting. Old peonies should be transplanted from late summer, as soon as the leaves change color, until late autumn. Don't transplant the peonies in spring, as the young shoots can break off very easily. Why fall is the best time to peony plants is, as well as other helpful tips can be found here.

Transplant peonies: instructions in six steps

As before any project, transplanting peonies requires sufficient time so that in the later course errors that are actually avoidable come to light and cause trouble draw. We have put together a guide for you below:

1. Determination of type and space requirements

The space required by a peony depends entirely on the height of the respective variety. In most cases, this is 80 - 90 cm for perennial peonies. However, if small varieties such as Paeonia tenuifolia or the varieties 'Raspberry Rose' or 'Gretchen' are bought, half a meter is also sufficient. In the case of tree peonies, this space requirement can be greater.

2. Choosing the right location and planting time for transplanting peonies

The location should be blessed with at least half a day's worth of sunshine. It shouldn't be completely outdoors, but should have neighboring plants and/or objects on one or two sides. Fall is a great time to transplant peonies.

3. Dig up the peony at the old site

When digging up, pay attention to the small and especially the large roots. You can find detailed descriptions in our special article on the Propagating Peonies.

4. Soil preparation at the new location

The soil in the planting hole should be well loosened and, in heavy soils, even have built-in drainage in the form of gravel to avoid waterlogging.

5. Plant peonies in the new location

There are important differences between shrub and perennial peonies and also between grafted specimens and divisions. Tree peonies are planted so deep that the grafting point (easily recognizable at the point where the slender branch meets the thick root) is 10 - 15 cm below the surface of the earth. This ensures that the base (root = wild plant species) does not sprout, but only the desired "splendid rice" grows and thrives on top. If they are divided, they are planted vertically. With young grafted specimens (scion + wild rootstock) it is important to plant them at an angle. This promotes the growth of the noble rice. With regard to your own roots, however, you should also start several new shoots vertically upwards.

The perennial peonies, on the other hand, should only be buried 5 cm deep. It is advisable to dig out the planting hole and water it, but only bury the plant after a day or two. The reason for this is the risk of the earth sagging along with the perennial peony, which can lead to significant weaknesses.

tip: For the best start, work in a dose of mostly organic fertilizer like ours when planting Plantura organic flower fertilizer into the ground.

6. Caring for peonies after transplanting

After planting everything is watered again. An additional water supply is only required during long periods of drought during the growing season.

In addition to transplanting, pruning the peonies is an important care measure. You can find out how to do this in our article on the topic “Cut peonies & cut off faded flowers“.