I have always had good luck with all of my peonies, FL, hybrid, and standard types, by digging the planting hole 8 or 10 inches deeper than required and sprinkling fertilizer in the bottom then covering it with soil before planting the roots. It gives the fertilizer time to dissolve and keeps the initial roots from possibly burning. The roots naturally grow toward the nutrients and gives them deep roots which is helpful in hot, dry areas. Surface application of nutrients in any form encourage the roots to stay shallow which is good for wet climates. Point is, there is no certain way to garden so one should pay attention to how plants either prosper or suffer. My yard may be totally different than another located just a couple hundred yards away.
