Can I Successfully Divide My Peonies in the Spring Rather Than the Fall?

When to Divide

• Peonies can be divided whenever the plant is still dormant. Early spring is a good time to do this, before the new shoots emerge. If the plant has already emerged from the ground by a few inches and has some growth but no real leaves, you should still be safe to divide the plant. However, if it is showing signs of leafing out or producing blossoms, you’re too late. Better to wait until the plant has blossomed for the summer and try again later in the fall, after dormancy sets in.

Dividing Peonies

• Dig carefully around the area to be divided and use a clean, sharp cutter to separate the root mass of the parent plant. Keeping root division wedges to about 6 to 10 inches long and about 6 to 8 inches wide where the crown of the parent plant’s outside stems emerge provides sufficient material for a healthy transplant. Discard any dead winter growth and confirm that each plantlet removed has a root system. Replant the division quickly using the same depth as the parent plant and water it well. If late spring frosts are a problem in your area, mulch well to protect the roots from the possibility of frost-heaving damage, just as you would do during fall divisions. When you divide the plant, check the roots for harmful nematodes, which cause root knotting and galls that produce wilted, yellowing plants. Remove and discard any parts that look diseased.

Location, Location

• In the North, new peonies are usually planted in late summer to early fall, with mid to late fall plantings in the South. Add another layer of mulch as the first winter weather approaches, even for spring-divided plants, but do not fertilize late in the season. For thicker regrowth and better blossom yield in the spring, trim back dying foliage to the ground after the first frost occurs.

Patience Is a Virtue

• You may have to wait a year or more for the newly planted division to acclimate sufficiently to produce blossoms. Don’t give in to the temptation of overfertilizing – you may damage the new plant with leaf burn or other problems. As long as you plant the newcomer in a sunny spot, give it sufficient water and see some new green growth and leaves, the plant should do just fine.