The gardener is very busy this time of year, opportunities to enhance the garden abound. Many perennials can be divided, for some it's the only time of year to divide, especially so with herbaceous peonies. Before you cut back the foliage, think about lifting your clumps and dividing them into more plants. This is especially important if you've noticed a reduction in flowers in spring.
I lift the entire clump, clean up the roots and look for eyes or growing tips. You can cut the foliage or leave a little to make it easier to hold onto the roots. With a little stick or poker, clean the dirt off and look for places you can divide the root so that each piece has 3 or so eyes. With peonies, the small feeder roots don't arrive till early winter, so you will find your tuber-like roots perfect for lifting and cleaning, the only time of year you can do this without damaging them. When planting the roots, it's critical that the eyes sit high, no more than an inch or so underground. If planted too deep, the sunlight won't reach the eyes and flowers are not initiated. As you will often find, roots have grown deep and you have fewer flowers.
I plant the new divisions 3 feet apart and amend the soil with organic matter. Account for the mulch with your depth, the growing tips can be at soil level, it's always better to err on the high side than too deep. Another thought is to tie a tag on the roots with the variety name. I prefer flagging tape for this, but anything that will last, like cut-up pieces of plastic containers attached with a wire. Use a pencil or sharpie, or both, to write the name.
Sometimes you want to cut your peonies in spring but hate to hurt the floral show. A few planted in a sunny bed, away from the garden, can provide cutting flowers without the guilt. Just a thought.
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