Why is autumn the best time to transplant peonies? (What season is suitable for planting peonies?)

Spring is not suitable for planting peonies

Peony is a plant that blooms in spring. Its natural flowering period is from March to May, making it one of the relatively early blooming flowers.

After planting peonies in spring, new branches will soon begin to grow and they will bloom, which will consume a lot of nutrients.

At this time, the new roots of the newly planted peonies have not yet grown, which will cause the peony to consume more nutrients than it absorbs , and the peony will die due to the depletion of nutrients. This is why spring is not suitable for planting peonies.

The best season to plant peonies is autumn

Generally, most plants are transplanted in spring and autumn because the temperature is suitable in spring and autumn, which is conducive to recovery after transplanting. As mentioned above, peonies are not suitable for transplanting in spring, so the best season left is autumn.

In fact, in addition to the temperature factor, the autumn transplanting of peonies also takes into account the growth habits of peonies. The growth habits of peonies can be summarized in four sentences: "sprouting in spring, napping in summer, growing roots in autumn, and dormant in winter."

Autumn is the season for peony root growth. If you transplant peonies at this time, the roots will begin to grow after a week. Then, after a winter dormancy, beautiful flowers will bloom in the spring of the following year.

Precautions for transplanting in autumn

Although autumn is the best season for peony transplanting , there is no guarantee that the plants will survive 100% after transplanting. There are still many things to pay attention to when transplanting peonies.

1. Time for transplanting peony

Autumn is a long time, and you can’t just transplant at any time. If you transplant too early, the peony will sprout new branches, which is what we call "autumn growth". After autumn growth, it will consume nutrients and affect the growth of the next year.

If the transplanting time is too late, the cold weather will affect the growth of the root system, and the growth will not be good for the same two years.

The time for transplanting peonies varies slightly in different regions: August to October in Northeast China, September to November in North China and Central China, and October to January of the following year in South China.

2. Selection of peony transplanting location

Peony is a deep-rooted flower with fleshy roots, which are not tolerant to waterlogging. Therefore, when choosing a transplanting site, you should choose a place with high terrain and good drainage. At the same time, the soil should be sandy or loamy. It is not suitable to plant it in a plot with heavy clay.

In addition, peonies like sunshine, so the planting area must have sufficient light.

3. Selection of flowerpots for peony transplanting

Peonies have deep roots and are best suited for ground planting .

If you want to plant peonies in pots, you can do that. To plant peonies in pots, you need to choose a suitable flowerpot. In terms of material, you should choose a ceramic pot or a clay pot with good air permeability.

Then, choose a deeper and larger flower pot, with a depth of more than 30 cm and a diameter of about 30 cm.