Not related to growing in pots, but I just read from "The Book of Peony" (listed in the great info thread) that tree peonies can be air layered or laid in dirt and rooted....so amazing! It will be years before I get the try that...sigh sounds so interesting! (I tried it with hydrangeas and it worked.)

Annie, I too have had success getting some shrubs to root using that method, viburnums, chaste tree, and hydrangeas notably.

That would be fun to try woody peonies, but their stems are not as pliable as the shrubs I mentioned.

Viburnums..good to know!

The book said first year shoots...I wonder if mounding the dirt up and meeting the shoot half way would work? They also said you could espalier tree peonies so I am guessing there is a short time they are more pliable.

I tried straightening a very young Japanese Maple by wiring it and it worked pretty well...would have worked better if I had taken the wire off so it didn't have ridges in the trunk..character, it now has character.

I am hoping I can either remember or find this post when I am able to try air layering.

Sound complicated, I'm going to just stick to buying and planting peonies.

I have accidentally air layered and bonsai or trained trees. I like getting to try things, but having to do something can take a lot of the fun out. I am even looking at having a potted tree peony as a way to get to move it around so I can really enjoy its bloom.

Finally getting to the potted Itohs and it seems the nursery used only pine bark very flat pieces ranging from 1/8 inch square to 1/2 inch square. The pots were plastic gallons. I had another Itoh from a different nursery that used more like regular potting soil, but it started doing poorly and I planted it early summer. (The nursery that used potting soil often has plants that look terrible after being there a couple of months. I don't know if they get poor stock or really poor treatment or both.)

How did the roots look after you washed off the potting material, Annie? That's what is important.

LG, the one (Garden Treasure) with the bark looked fabulous...pretty sure they had been in the pot around 1 year or less. The ones in the potting soil did not look as good and I cut off rotten bits, that was Bartzella, that the voles got into. We will see how it does.

I also just dumped out Monrovia #1 mystery Itoh 5 gallon and it must have been in there several years as the bark had turned to mucky mud in lots of places. The leaves looked pretty good, but I was keeping it out of the rain and it was still pretty wet with a good bit of rotting in spots on top and bottom.

I think only bark may have a 2-3 year life, but I can't be sure. I don't know how that effects Tree Peonies...I'm still thinking since I just dumped the #1Monrovia mystery today.

Annie, it sounds like your area is very wet, we have the opposite problem.

Annie, several years ago I bought some Monrovia Itohs in pots. The roots were completely circled and such a mess. I did end up dividing them before planting.

They use they bark in those pots because most nurseries have sprinkler systems and the bark drains well.

LG did you do any other trimming on them or just divided them? I divided them, but did not cut off the circling. (Planted in the ground.)

I also planted one that was circling back in a basket in the ground because voles have been eating from that bed...I am assuming it will be more circled when I dig it out, but it seems like protecting it from voles is the best option at the moment. Any other ideas about protecting it that would be better?

Annie, they were such a mess I had to hack a lot. I did plant the blind roots, but nothing came up.

Have you ever taken a large black nursery pot and used tin snips to cut the bottom off and used it to line the planting hole? You are supposed to leave an inch or two above the soil line because supposedly the voles will run into the plastic pot but won't climb in. I have been successful with that for Hostas , and for some small Itohs I got one year. For the itohs, pulled the black plastic pot out after two years. They were established well enough by then.

LG...Brilliant! I have plastic pots! I got some from HomeDepot/Lowes recycle spot. We seem to be able to trap voles in spring, but we have not had any luck in winter.

I can keep them any from some things by planting garlic close, but not if they have a hole really near.

I have also tried wrapping my lily bulbs in metal scrubbies, because voles/mice don't like bouncy metal on their teeth.

We would do a cat, but outdoor cats don't live long here with coyotes other critters.

When I found out peonies were edible, I wasn't surprised...my voles always go for edibles and expensive and then work their way down...

Annie, I feel your pain. I can't keep lily bulbs around for long without growing them in pots. I love Orienpets so much. And for the first time after numerous tries, I have a Madonna Lily growing and blooming (I hope this doesn't jinx it) in a pot sunk in the ground. I did leave the bottom in that pot.

I am in the same situation with cats. Strictly indoor only. I don't mind snakes, and they do catch rodents.

The only snakes we get are Garter snakes, which don't get big enough to get voles. I have only lost Asiatic Lilies so far...the voles don't seem to go down to get the lily bulbs so far, but I will remember the pots when I run out of metal scrubbies.

I am also going to dig up those Itohs and put pots around them. All these gardening mistakes/do overs seem to keep me busy.

The best snakes I have are gray ratsnakes. They are around three feet long. I used to have a LOT of black racer snakes. The last big flood killed most of them;I didn't see any this year. I look at them as a great help in the garden. I did learn early on to watch where you are weeding, because there may be a snake there.

Good luck in digging up those Itohs. Hopefully it won't take too long.

That is going to be a HUGE adjustment for me, LG! Rattlesnakes and water moccasins—just don't have them here at our elevation. For a while any little snake is going to look venomous to me...

I'm glad I don't have them here, I freak out otherwise. We don't have frogs.

Liz, you just will have to be careful. I worry about Daisy dog. But in all my years here along the creek none of my dogs have been bitten by a venomous snake.

SoCal, I had no idea you didn't have frogs! What about toads and lizards? I have plenty of all of them. They really keep the slugs down here.