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Avatar for Chelseann
Jan 26, 2022 9:42 AM CST
Thread OP

I love is Alberta, Canada. This is a long shot, but I wanted to take a peony that's sentimental to me to a new place and I totally forgot to consider digging it up before winter and now the timing is kind of horrible. Ground is frozen solid. Is there ANYTHING I can do to get it out? Am I wasting my time? Also, I'm unable to go back in the spring as we are relocating long distance.
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Jan 26, 2022 10:03 AM CST
Name: Valerie
Ontario, Canada (Zone 4b)
Region: Canadian Peonies Irises Daylilies Hybridizer Bulbs
Seller of Garden Stuff Plant and/or Seed Trader Bee Lover Birds Keeper of Koi
Welcome! Chelseann - I would say the soil is your problem not how the peony will take a move (unless you are going to somewhere hot like Florida Thumbs down ) If you are moving to a climate a zone or two warmer you will be able to plant it. However how you saw through frozen dirt will be your biggest challenge Rolling on the floor laughing
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Jan 26, 2022 10:45 AM CST
Moderator
Name: LG
Nashvillle (Zone 7b)
Butterflies Garden Photography Hostas Hummingbirder Peonies Region: Tennessee
Forum moderator
You might try laying a black plastic bag over the peony to see if the sun will warm it up enough to thaw the soil.

Another thought is to pour boiling water in a circle around the plant at least 8 inches out from the crown to thaw the soil and try to keep the rootball in one frozen piece.
Keep it frozen as best you can before you move.

Keep us posted.
LG - My garden grows with love and a lot of hard work.
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Jan 26, 2022 12:00 PM CST
Name: Valerie
Ontario, Canada (Zone 4b)
Region: Canadian Peonies Irises Daylilies Hybridizer Bulbs
Seller of Garden Stuff Plant and/or Seed Trader Bee Lover Birds Keeper of Koi
My husband had a good idea for limited thawing; get a fairly long heating cable - the sort you would use to keep a water pipe from freezing - lay it on the ground in a circle about 8" away from the clump, insulate the upper surface of the cable circle so the heat goes down and not everywhere, and leave it there for - - probably a day + (plugged in of course Rolling on the floor laughing ) Depending on where you are (not shown) you may only have a couple of inches of frozen soil to get a spade through. With this method you won't thaw the root ball out very much, if at all.
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Jan 26, 2022 3:06 PM CST
Name: Jasmin
Toronto, Ontario (Zone 5b)
Peonies Roses Clematis Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Bee Lover
Cat Lover Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Enjoys or suffers cold winters Region: Canadian Permaculture Garden Ideas: Level 2
I agree with Valerie: "Soil is your problem...". Many years ago, my mother who lived in Europe came to visit in January. She wanted me to buy her a yellow TP. She didn't want to reason and accept that the soil was deeply frozen. My mother was mad at me. She convinced my brother to call around and find her a yellow peony. So my brother somehow convinced a guy in Quebec to dig two frozen roots of High Noon and one more pink TP. As I recall, the nursery owner did it with a pickaxe. D'Oh! Smiling

The roots arrived safely, we planted them in the pots. My mother took one High Noon and the pink peony. Later, she brought them back to Europe and planted them there. They are still alive and well.

I got the second High Noon root. It was in a pot until the spring arrived. I planted it as soon as the soil got soft. Now, my High Noon is more than 5' tall Smiling

Thus, the most difficult part will be to dig up the roots. Smiling
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."~Albert Einstein
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Jan 27, 2022 1:30 AM CST
Moderator
Name: LG
Nashvillle (Zone 7b)
Butterflies Garden Photography Hostas Hummingbirder Peonies Region: Tennessee
Forum moderator
Jasmin, I love that story! You are a great daughter. I can't believe you convinced the peony grower to dig up those roots in January.

Val I like the idea of the heat tape!

Good luck Chelseann
LG - My garden grows with love and a lot of hard work.
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Jan 27, 2022 12:47 PM CST
Name: Jasmin
Toronto, Ontario (Zone 5b)
Peonies Roses Clematis Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Bee Lover
Cat Lover Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Enjoys or suffers cold winters Region: Canadian Permaculture Garden Ideas: Level 2
Mieko2 said:Jasmin, I love that story! You are a great daughter. I can't believe you convinced the peony grower to dig up those roots in January.

LG, it was my brother who manage to get the TP roots from Quebec in January Shrug! My mother was mad at me at that time because I did not want to call peony nurseries and ask them to dig up the frozen ground Shrug! I redeemed myself when I managed to find her a nice hardy hydrangea in a local nursery (in February). I knew that that local nursery had some plants left. They were sheltered and protected, so I went there and got the plant in a pot. That hydrangea is also still alive and well.
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."~Albert Einstein
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Jan 27, 2022 1:16 PM CST
Moderator
Name: LG
Nashvillle (Zone 7b)
Butterflies Garden Photography Hostas Hummingbirder Peonies Region: Tennessee
Forum moderator
It is a fun story Jasmin ! Glad they all lived.
LG - My garden grows with love and a lot of hard work.
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