Early Fall is the best time to change the location of your Spring-flowering herbaceous peony plant, divide an out-of-grown plant or rejuvenate an old specimen

Follow these 6 steps to move a small to medium-size healthy herbaceous peony plant at least 4 weeks before the ground freezes:

1. Prepare the new location, with a big enough plantation hole, decomposed compost ready to fill around the roots.
2. Cut foliage to a few inches near the soil.
3. Using a square digging garden spade, circle from 6-12 inches around the plant to move (the bigger the crown, the larger the circle), while slowly tilting the garden spade in order to gradually lift the plant. Do not pull on the plant. Alternatively, use a garden fork but may not be as efficient when the soil is compacted.
4. Once lifted, remove some of the soil and locate the red eyes (buds).
5. Check for signs of diseases or rot. Remove weed roots if present. Remove damaged or rotted parts and older dried stems with a clean pruner. Clean the pruners between each plant.
6. Place the plant in its new location, at the right eyes’ height for your area (see cultural recommendations) and spreading the roots semi-vertically . Slowly fill the root zone with loose soil. Do not walk on the crown while compacting the soil. Water well after planting. The plant may take a few seasons to recover.

Follow these 6 steps to divide a medium- to large size healthy herbaceous peony plant at least 4 weeks before the ground freezes:

1. Prepare the new locations, with a big enough plantation hole, decomposed compost ready to fill around the roots. If half the plant is to be donated, prepare the container with the appropriate soil mix or a paper bag with peat moss.
2. Cut foliage to a few inches near the soil.
3. Using a square garden spade, circle from 8-18 inches around the plant to move (the bigger the crown, the larger the circle), while slowly tilting the garden spade in order to gradually lift the plant. Do not pull on the plant. Alternatively, use a garden fork but may not be as efficient when the soil is compacted.
4. Remove as much as soil as possible, cutting damaged or rotted roots and removing weed roots if present. Sometimes the roots will separate themselves. If not, using your garden spade, do a clean cut for dividing the plant in two equal parts, insuring each part has healthy eyes and roots.
5. Place the plants in their new location, at the eyes’ right height for your area (see above) and spreading the roots vertically . Slowly fill the root zone with loose soil. Do not walk on the crown while compacting the soil. Water well after planting. The plant may take a few seasons to recover.
6. If half the plant is to be donated, be sure it is replanted 4 weeks before the ground freezes.

Follow these 8 steps to rejuvenate a very large size herbaceous peony plant producing smaller or no blooms, or outgrowing its location, at least 4 weeks before the ground freezes:

1. Check first if your plant is sick.
   • Were leaves becoming brown or black after blooming?
   • Are the root system rotted?
   • If yes, be cautious not to move your plant at the same spot. Do not move to a bed where peonies are healthy. Removing as much soil as possible and all damaged parts will be important. Do not dispose the sick parts in the compost.
   • Read more about Why your peony is not blooming
2. Prepare the new locations, with a big enough plantation hole, decomposed compost ready to fill around the roots. If half the plant is to be donated, prepare the container with the appropriate soil mix or a paper bag with peat moss.
3. Cut foliage to a few inches near the soil.
4. Using a square garden spade, circle from 15-24 inches around the plant to move (the bigger the crown, the larger the circle), while slowly tilting the garden spade in order to gradually lift the plant. Do not pull on the plant. Alternatively, use a garden fork but this may not be as efficient when the soil is compacted.
5. Remove as much as soil as possible, cutting damaged or rotted roots and removing weed roots if present. Sometimes the roots will separate themselves. If not, using your garden spade, do a clean cut for dividing the plant in a few equal parts but keep a larger side section for a more already mature specimen.
6. Place the plants in their new location, at the eyes’ right height for your area (see above) and spreading the roots vertically . Slowly fill the root zone with loose soil. Do not walk on the crown while compacting the soil. Water well after planting.
7. If you want to save some divisions to donate or plant at a later date, keep them in peat moss and be sure they do not dry and are replanted 4 weeks before the ground freezes. You could plant them in a container to overwinter, plan a big enough pot with pro-mix and know that container grown tubers are more sensitive to freezing than in-ground tubers and will need winter protection to survive.
8. Alternatively, you may try take away a small part of a big plant that has outgrown its location. Simply use your garden spade to circle the outer edge and cut cleanly vertically the piece to be replanted or donated.

Read also:

• Peonies for days, Recommendations for growing peonies
• Why is my peony not blooming