Would some of you more experienced peony growers like to tell what you do as far as watering and fertilizing the new roots you are planting now?
I am planting the new roots in new good garden soil, with some bone meal or super phosphate in the holes. Then watering when they are planted. Should they be watered through the fall? More fertilizer?

My understanding is to just leave them to start growing new feeder roots. I plant really late as the tubers arrive when the ground is usually frozen down a few inches. Other than making sure the soil is firmly packed (maybe water a little to settle the dirt) I don't do anything.

Hi Caroline,

I plant with composted manure, soil conditioner( I have red clay soil), Azomite or Bulb food, and I don't water the new plants. They only water they get is from rainfall driving the fall and winter.

Thanks for replies.
That is what d'Aoust says also-just water if soil is very dry.
But it does not seem right--not to water new plantings?

I use bulb tone for new planting as directed on the package plant at appropriate depth and water in. Some soil will settle usually and I often end up adding a bit more soil to be sure I have the correct depth.

The year we had a severe drought and I planted peonies that fall,I received some planting advice from Roger Anderson: to dig the hole and soak the hole with water until the surrounding soil was very moist, then plant to correct depth and water in. The plantings all did very well that next season despite our horrible growing year the year prior. I chose to plant every peony I received that drought year that same way. Now when I plant,if things seem dry at all I soak the hole, wait to it to absorb in the surrounding soils and then continue planting.

I do that to test the drainage of any planting hole.
Dig the hole, fill with water, and see if drains in reasonable time.
Then plant, unless drainage was too slow.
We are usually very dry here.

Post deleted. I was saying essentially the same thing about checking drainage.

It does seem weird not to water new plantings but peony roots are already dormant when shipped. I only water enough to make sure the soil is packed well around the roots. Adding BulbTone to both new and old plantings this fall, along with some azomite. I'm a peony fertilizing convert!

I could not get Azomite---they were sold out.

The azomite is supposed to make the stems stronger, don't know if I saw any difference at all. I used it the last 2 springs and have around half of the bag left over so will use it so I don't have to store it. I don't know if I'll buy more, though. I KNOW I saw a difference with the BulbTone, though.

Yes, I saw Carol Adelman's U tube video on fall care, and she recommends "tulip" fertilizer on peonies. I get what they call "Bulb Booster" for fall bulbs, so I am going to give all the peonies about an eighth of a cup of that.

Carol spoke to my local peony society last spring and spoke about fertilizing peonies. I started doing it last spring and this year all new plantings.

How big are your peonies, Caroline? If they are still small, I believe 1-2 tsp is good enough. 1/8 cup maybe too much. A little can go a long way.

Some are new and small and some are old and established.
Maybe less on new ones!