Got carried away at a nursery!

I visited a nursery a few days ago which specialises in Tree Peonies. I was spoilt for choice and bought more than I had intended. My bank balance has taken a hit , so they will have to be my Christmas present to myself! I have not finished preparing where I had intended to plant the Peonies, it has been very wet here, so I was wondering what best to do with my new purchases. They are in pots, ie not bare rooted. I was thinking of potting them on and then sinking the pots in the ground, then lift and plant out properly when I can get the area prepared. Alternatively I could pot then on and put them in an unheated glasshouse, altho I feel their roots would be better protected if I planted them. I live in a pretty cold part of the world and we have already had a couple of severe frosts so the ground is now cold and wet.

Hope someone can advise me the best thing to do as do not want to loose these plants, they were not cheap. No doubt someone will probably tell me I was an idiot to buy then now!:dh:

 

I think Tree Peonies are lovely

I would be inclined to keep the plant in protected environment, but the roots getting frozen is more likely in a pot than in the ground. Not sure they need any / much light during the Winter? they could perhaps be in a frost free shed even (although my inclination would be to get them out on nice days)

Either way, getting the watering right for a potted plant during Winter is quite tricky - "not much, but enough" !!

 

Thanks Kristen. Hopefully I won't die before they decide to flower. Agree about roots freezing that's the dilemma. Think maybe what I'll do is plant the Peonies in bigger pots and sink them into the soil in the glass house until next Spring. They were in a poly tunnel when I bought them so perhaps it might be a bit of a shock to go in the ground now. They have already had 1 night of freezing treatment so better make up my mind and do something!

 

If you have soil borders in your greenhouse I think plunging the pots in them is ideal.

One night of frost won't hurt - its prolonged cold that allows the cold to penetrate pots and freeze the soil in them that I think is likely to be the problem.

You can wrap the pots with bubble wrap, or fleece, or somesuch ... but prolonged cold spells will penetrate that as I don't suppose the roots will generate much heat on their own in Winter. So "insulating" with the greenhouse's border-soil will be best I think. I doubt the soil freezes in a cold greenhouse - if nothing else it will not get soaking wet like outside is liable to do.

 

Just in from doing just that, good of you to reassure me that my new "expensive babies" haven't suffered from being left out in the cold! The temperature here is dropping like a stone so just as well I got going and did something. Roll on next Spring altho that seems a long way off. Thanks for bothering to help much appreciated