Peonies MenuTypes, dividing, bouquets and more
Photo by : Liz West ( Some right reserved ) .
Q : My neighbor tells me fall is the prison term to divide peonies . Can this be right-hand ? Are there other perennials I should part then?—Patricia Christian , Branchburg , N.J.
A : In your sphere , and in geographical zone 4 to 7 , September is by far the best calendar month to divide or movepeonies , and it ’s a good metre for a lot of other perennials , too . Strictly speaking , September is more late summertime than descent , but your neighbour has the correct idea . Just do n’t wait too long : Newly divided perennials of all kinds need at least 4 weeks of produce — 6 weeks is even good — before the really hard frosts get .
mass tend to think of spring as the time to divide perennial , but for many species there are major advantages to expect until after Labor Day , no matter what zona you live in . In the spring , when many other garden tasks are vying for our attending , the window of opportunity is minute : just a couple of weeks between when the plants sprout and before they get more than 2 or 3 inches improbable . In late summer and fall , the press is off ; you have four to six weeks to get the employment done . But the most compelling reason to forefend spring division is that you ’ll get few bloom that time of year . ( The exceptions to this rule — fall - bloom plant such asastersandchrysanthemums — are well divided in the leaping , which allows them time to regain before flower . ) Considerdaylilies , for good example . These perennials are so toughened you’re able to move them anytime the ground is n’t frozen ; they will rebound eventually . Expert growers , however , powerfully favor the drop to the spring for transplanting and dividing . No matter how early in spring you get to the task , grok up daylilies then invariably will diminish the summertime ’s bloom count . By waiting for late summer , when blossom is finished and the weather set about to cool somewhat , you give the new divisions the longest potential time to develop new stem , farewell , and , at long last , flower stalks the next time of year .
paeony are a footling dissimilar from most perennials in this esteem . LikeOriental poppiesorSiberian irises , they rarely call for dividing ; but if you want to soften a mature works into several smaller ones or to move an existing flora , the work is best done in late summer or former spill . peony divided in the spring grow very ill . So , four to six weeks before hard frost , when the leaf begin to front ragged , cut back the foliage and dig up the plants . On the sarcoid crown you will see protruding dormant buds ( “ eyes ” ) that will be next spring ’s crimson shoots . ( The intellect to wait for the foliage to begin to decline is that the longer the leave-taking can send get-up-and-go to the root , the stronger these eyes will be . ) With a sharp knife , thin out the roots into section that have at least three prominent optic . Set each division in its fresh smudge with the eye facing up , at a profoundness of no more than 2 inches below the surface . ( Peonies planted too deep will grow , but they ’ll bloom badly or not at all . ) It may take two years for these three - optic naval division to become large enough to flower again . dissever the plants into larger root pieces will make bigger flora and flower rather . On the ease - of - dividing ordered series , other perennials lessen between the resiliency of daylily and the fussiness of peonies .
Learn more onhow & when to divide perennials .
