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Sep 4, 2015 5:03 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Liz Best
Columbiana Alabama (Zone 8a)
Annuals Winter Sowing Plant and/or Seed Trader Peonies Lilies Irises
Hummingbirder Dragonflies Dog Lover Daylilies Bee Lover Birds
I've joined a few peony groups on Facebook in the last few weeks and it's been enlightening. A newer peony gardener posted a pic of what I thought was a pretty typical Itoh division and much more experienced peony growers told him to cut off most of that woody mass and to plant the resulting division's woody parts oriented around 90 degrees from what it was before to make the root longer horizontally rather than vertically--supposed to encourage feeder root growth from that woody part. Cutting off the majority of an Itoh root scares me! Do any of you divide your Itohs that way? I'm trying it with at least 1 root this year but would love to hear your experiences and opinions.
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Sep 4, 2015 6:13 AM CST
Name: Karen
Southeast PA (Zone 6b)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I have to move a 3 year itoh peony Bartzella soon. I don't know what the plant will look like underneath. It is going to be interesting. I will take pics and share them here, Liz. Thanks for starting this thread so we can learn from each other.
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Sep 4, 2015 8:04 AM CST
Name: Caroline Scott
Calgary (Zone 4a)
Bulbs Winter Sowing Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Peonies Lilies Charter ATP Member
Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I had not heard of that and look forward to more replies on this.
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Sep 4, 2015 8:18 AM CST
Name: Lily Martagon
Du Page County Illinois (Zone 5a)
Tropicals I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Amaryllis Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter
Peonies Lilies Irises Region: Illinois Hostas Container Gardener
I have to move Kopper Kettle also. I planted it too shallow the roots are showing. Thanks to Solaris Farm's cultural info.
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Sep 4, 2015 9:39 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Liz Best
Columbiana Alabama (Zone 8a)
Annuals Winter Sowing Plant and/or Seed Trader Peonies Lilies Irises
Hummingbirder Dragonflies Dog Lover Daylilies Bee Lover Birds
Me either, Caroline. And I have to replant both Bartzillas and Callie's Memory for the same reason, Lily! And I'm looking forward to seeing your Bartzilla roots, Karen, mine have languished in the same spot for 2 years now with very little to show. Maybe I'll have to post those pics so everyone can see the folly of poor planting!
I wish I could move the entire thread from Facebook to here but the pictures weren't mine and I don't want to offend anyone there--I think I'm going to learn a LOT from them! If anyone wants to join I can provide the group names, though.
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Sep 4, 2015 11:37 AM CST
Name: Alex
Toronto, Ontario
Region: Canadian
Did not hear about 90 degrees, but 45 degrees for sure. I think it makes more sense as eyes will be formed at the right distance from the surface.
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Sep 4, 2015 6:44 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Tracey
Midwest (Zone 5a)
Garden Photography Tomato Heads Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Pollen collector Forum moderator Hybridizer
Plant Database Moderator Cat Lover I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member Garden Ideas: Master Level Seed Starter
I just transplanted Bart. Boy was that tough to get out of the ground. It was in competition with a hydrangea that was much smaller when they were planted several feet from each other. I ended up getting three separate plants out of it. One larger and two smaller ones. It's actually A lot easier to go in at that 45+ degree angle as compared to straight down because you would end up digging a huge hole ! Even after a trim of roots. Dividing peonies, not a favorite pastime of mine. Hilarious!
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Sep 4, 2015 10:43 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Liz Best
Columbiana Alabama (Zone 8a)
Annuals Winter Sowing Plant and/or Seed Trader Peonies Lilies Irises
Hummingbirder Dragonflies Dog Lover Daylilies Bee Lover Birds
You're right, Tracey, it is a monumental chore when you have a big one to divide, especially with competing roots. A single plant can be an all day thing....
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Sep 10, 2015 12:55 PM CST
Name: Diann
Lisbon, IA
Charter ATP Member Cat Lover Hostas Region: Iowa Lilies Peonies
Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Tracey, have you ever moved a tree peony?
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Sep 10, 2015 2:18 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Tracey
Midwest (Zone 5a)
Garden Photography Tomato Heads Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Pollen collector Forum moderator Hybridizer
Plant Database Moderator Cat Lover I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member Garden Ideas: Master Level Seed Starter
Yes! I did once. The roots must have gone all the way to China. It was that moment that I realized moving anything else to accommodate the tree peony growth would have been well worth it, no matter how many bulbs and plants needed to be dug. It did survive the move but let me know it that first spring afterwards by producing one bloom, just enough to make me aware that I hadn't killed.

ITOHs seem to inherit more of the root depth from the tree peony side of the gene pool or so it seems.
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Sep 10, 2015 7:41 PM CST
Name: Karen
Southeast PA (Zone 6b)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Wow, I am dreading the move of my Bartzella already. It sounds formidable! Wonder how big of a circumference do I need to dig to get to all the roots?
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Sep 10, 2015 7:46 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Tracey
Midwest (Zone 5a)
Garden Photography Tomato Heads Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Pollen collector Forum moderator Hybridizer
Plant Database Moderator Cat Lover I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member Garden Ideas: Master Level Seed Starter
Dig wide and dig deep.
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Sep 10, 2015 8:25 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Liz Best
Columbiana Alabama (Zone 8a)
Annuals Winter Sowing Plant and/or Seed Trader Peonies Lilies Irises
Hummingbirder Dragonflies Dog Lover Daylilies Bee Lover Birds
I've always heard dig as wide as the plant was, Karen, and at least 2' deep. Good luck with it!
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Sep 11, 2015 1:53 PM CST
Name: Alex
Toronto, Ontario
Region: Canadian
Wow! 2' deep ! Feeling better that I planted some of the on slope - easier to dig out if I need to. But that's probably right for a very old specimen. I divided 3-4 year old Itoh plants and their roots were quite reasonable in fact.
Last edited by AlexUnder Sep 13, 2015 12:31 PM Icon for preview
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Sep 23, 2015 6:45 PM CST
Name: Karen
Southeast PA (Zone 6b)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Sorry everyone. I don't have any pics to share. My brother and his buddy helped me dug up the itoh, and replanted the Bartzella for me while I was at work. I told him to wait for me but he couldn't because his buddy had only that day free.
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Sep 24, 2015 4:31 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Liz Best
Columbiana Alabama (Zone 8a)
Annuals Winter Sowing Plant and/or Seed Trader Peonies Lilies Irises
Hummingbirder Dragonflies Dog Lover Daylilies Bee Lover Birds
You've got to take your free labor where and when you can get it, Karen! I'd have done the same......
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Sep 24, 2015 4:38 PM CST
Name: Karen
Southeast PA (Zone 6b)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I tell you what Liz. They did a super job! There was hardly any broken roots. So now I got one small plant and one huge plant.
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Sep 24, 2015 8:49 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Liz Best
Columbiana Alabama (Zone 8a)
Annuals Winter Sowing Plant and/or Seed Trader Peonies Lilies Irises
Hummingbirder Dragonflies Dog Lover Daylilies Bee Lover Birds
That worked out well, then! I'm glad I don't have any dividing left to do this year, just planting the new ones as they come in.....
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Sep 26, 2015 7:06 PM CST
Name: Lily Martagon
Du Page County Illinois (Zone 5a)
Tropicals I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Amaryllis Region: United States of America Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter
Peonies Lilies Irises Region: Illinois Hostas Container Gardener
I dug Kopper Kettle and Yumi this evening. The clump I am digging in the pics is of Yumi. On the picnic table, KK is on the left and Yumi is on the right. These two were added to my garden in the spring of 2012. Based from the roots I dug, KK is a slow grower.
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Sep 26, 2015 7:21 PM CST
Name: Alex
Toronto, Ontario
Region: Canadian
What is the smallest plant on the left? Or is it part of KK?

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