I would move it in September. but shortly after it finishes blooming dig a trench around the plant. Continue deepening trench as summer progresses. What you are attempting to do is to contain any side roots within the area of the trench. If all goes well in September the only thing you will have to do is to cut the main root, wash off roots to see if any trimming is needed. Sometimes the roots start to choke each other. Straighten if you can. Replant in new space. I would then cut off the leaves to send it into dormancy so it will establish new buds for next year.

I have the first one that I purchased that I am needing to move because it has been decreasing in size every year. It has been in that spot for 15 years so the roots will probably be a horror story.

Diann, that is such a beauty!

Alana, sounds like you'd be the one to ask this- is it standard practice for growers to graft tree peonies on herbaceous peony roots? I had a cheap tree peony from a box store that I had for several years, and one year a pink single herbaceous one grew from the root. I cut it off and it seemed fine.

I think I've stumbled upon a most gorgeous companion plant for Peonies- Painted Daisies. I have never actually seen one in person till now, had tried without luck to grow them in the past, but the plants I started from seed in '08 are finally blooming! And they're right next to 3 clumps of Peonies in pink and blush that have big buds about to start opening. The Painted Daisies are true pinks and magentas that match Peony hues perfectly, and I think the contrast in forms will be so pretty! Once they're all completely open I'll be sure to get pics.

Grafting to an herbaceous root is the most common practice for grafting tree peonies. There are a few that graft onto tree peony roots but I do not know of anyone that practices this nor have I seen a tree to tree graft.

Even the more expensive ones normally start out as a graft.

As a side note somewhere in my house is a older garden book that discribes some earlier practices. Grafts at one time were done in April, probably with new shoots. Other than stating the graft was done the ususal way no additional information. Also in the book was mention of cutting buds of the tp in June, laying on moist sand, putting in a dark place until roots develop on the buds. I have talked to one person that has attempted the latter practice with some success but the establishment of the roots took too long. These are things I have on my back burner to try. One of these days???? Anyone like to try. What I wrote above is almost all the information in the article.

Thanks Alana, very interesting. I was kinda freaked out when my rootstock grew that year- would have thought I had planted one on top of the other if it had been a herbaceous one I recognized.

Speaking of long cold winters I just came in from covering tender plants as we may have a freeze tonight and perhaps tomorrow. It was warm yesterday with violent storms last night. No damage here but lots of hail north of here.

Yeah, it's supposed to get cold here too. I hope the wind keeps up all night, that will keep things a bit warmer...

Well, I couldn't wait. Here are those fat Peony buds with the Painted Daisies. I'm just too excited to contain myself, LOL.

What a nice companion to peonies! Can't wait to see those fat buds open Neal

Ooooh, I agree with Mags, I can't wait to see them pop too!!

Neal, that's a nice mixture. Can't wait to see the peony blooms mixed in.

Peonies are opening, and of course I've been burying my face in those satiny petals whenever I walk past them!

You can see more of the Painted Daisies here, and the Shirley Poppies that surprised me by blooming earlier than I expected and joined the show.

I have several of these, my first Peonies, given to me as a teenager by an elderly lady who lived on our road growing up. She was my first gardening mentor.

There are Roses budding behind these, I can't wait to see them all open with the Peonies.

Wow Neal, the painted daisies do look super with the peonies - great combo!

The peony from your neighbor is beautiful, so soft looking. I bet it has a wonderful fragrance too. And happy memories!

Oh yeah, that's nice! Keep the pictures coming Neal!

My early Winged Victory opened yesterday.

Closer.

Thanks y'all! That blush one from my neighbor is nicely fragrant, so many things blooming to make the nose happy right now :-).

Happy Birthday, Goldfinch! Hope you have a bloom filled day!

I sure hope Painted Daisies are a long lived perennial, since they were so slow to reach maturity. Its a good thing I planted them the same year as the Peonies.

Another pretty companion for peonies I've stumbled upon is this purple Toad Flax. I had no idea if it would even grow here, let alone when it would flower. The seeds came from DGr, bootandall in New Zealand, and were wintersown last year. I thought I'd failed with them when they didn't bloom last year, but they survived the winter and are starting to bloom now! I couldn't get a pic with the toad flax in focus, the camera kept honing in on the peony..hehehe, who could blame it, LOL.

Thanks Neal, had a great birthday!

If painted daisies are like other daisies, you'll have them around for a long, long time as they self-seed readily.

The toad flax does play a great supporting role for peonies too!