Hello, I recently ordered a few bare roots from an online store in New Brunswick and they are only expected to arrive today or tomorrow. Is that too late for planting? I had ordered them in the summer and the store stated they would be shipped out in early October and it’s now early November!
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners with your inquiry concerning peonies.
The best time to plant peonies is when they they are dormant before they begin active growth. Peonies can be planted anytime in the fall when the ground is not frozen.
The “eyes” should be planted about one to two inches deep. (If planted too deeply, the plant will produce foliage and no flowers.) This link on Garden Making Magazine gives step by step instructions on how to transplant/plant the different types of peonies- herbaceous, tree & Itoh hybrids.
You will find planting and care instructions for herbaceous peonies on the Canadian Peony Society website along with a diagram illustrating the location of the eyes.
Peonies appreciate well-drained soil with an abundance of organic matter. Plants will flower better in full sun, but will tolerate some shade.