Dividing a Peony

I have a peony which has been insitu for about 15 years, 'til now it has flowered faithfully every year. This year however I only had one flower. I have been told that to start the flowering again I need to lift and divide it. Is this correct? If so when should I lift it and what is the best way to lift and divide it?:confused::confused:

 

It could well be that dividing may stimulate the old girl into renewed vigour - altho paeonies are supposed to not take well to being moved, I've done so on several occasions with good results.
I would be inclined to wait until early autumn, and try to divide off some of the newer rhyzomes (sp) from round the edge, taking as much of the fine roots with them as you can, but leaving some of the old plant where it is 'just in case'. Cut back the shoots at the same time, and try not to bury the new cuttings too deeply. I'd be pretty confident this would come again next year without any trouble. Might well not flower until the second season, but shoul hopefully do well.

Anthony

 

Hi

Thanks a lot for this thread-will be dividing mine this october too. this has been very helpful.

 

I split a couple of peonies into several bits this February by dividing up the tubers into small groups, and making sure there was a shoot on each piece. They all seem to have survived, although they will need a year or two to make good plants.

 

Sorry to get a bit stupid again, how big was the initial tuber and how big were the subsequent pieces-roughly obviously?

And which peonies? Or does that make no difference?

 

a friend gave me half of one 2 yrs ago it flowered well last yearand even better this yr.

 

So that should make it a 9 yr old plant (from seed)? Was the tuber roughly 20 cms? Sorry again for being pedantic-I don`t want to damage my peonies when I divide them.

 

I'd say around 15cm would be a good average size to aim for; I've actually known quite tiny ones to come up next year and eventully make good plants, but obviously this takes longer!

Anthony

 

Thanks very much will do

 

I know the thread is old, but I just wanted to add a couple of pictures to the topic...............moved and divided mine late October and buried them about 2 inches below the soil surface.

I just hope it re-flowers next year, I read every post I could find on moving peonies, and everyone seemed to say that don't bury the tuber to deep, but I had to move to it because I have now re-arranged a small area in my garden for dahlia's, otherwise it would have stayed it it was

Notice next years eyes in the second picture And I must admit that I was surprised that next years eyes were so large

 

2 inches of soil above the bud is a bit much. The bud needs cold ripening to initiate flowering. When I have divided our plants I put them in with the top bud above, or just at soil level.

 

Palustris has just said what I think...peonies will not flower if planted too deeply. In fact they need to be almost on the surface and in the sun. I wonder if Labrador's initial post about peony not floweriing could be because if was mulched. Mulching is something I practise but not with peonies.

 

I've divided mine and moved them and never had a problem. Mine get replanted with the tubers right at the surface (which is probably more shallow than when I lifted them)

 

Having read all the replies, I have moved the tuber so that is just a couple of mm below the surface........in fact it's just a sprinkling of soil on the new eyes.

It's a great looking flower and my avatar picture, so Just hope they flower next May / June

 

Could I please ask if this is only applicable to herbaceous Peonies and not Tree Peonies. I was told to pretty well bury Tree Peonies to inhibit the chances of the parent root stock from taking over and less vigorous grafted variety getting "swamped" by the root stock if this makes sense. Have both herbaceous and Tree Peonies the herbaceous ones do fine, the Tree Peonies are still very young in Tree Peonly terms (3 years here) and have all flowered be it only a couple of humungus flowers...well you have to have some blousey fun flowers! Should the Tree Peonies not be so deeply planted?