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Bare root Itoh peony Bartzella planting

Luke_SLuke_S Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Hello!

I've just bought a bare root Itoh peony (bartzella), which I received through the post last week. Having done some research it looks like it needs to be planted in a similar way to a standard herbaceous peony, with the crown planted fairly shallowly. I spent a few minutes trying to figure out what was what (ie last year’s stems, roots, crown) and planted with the stems facing up, but all of the buds are facing horizontally, rather than up. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, and I can only put it down to the root being placed on its’ side for a long period of time at the nursery whilst it was sprouting?! I’ve attached a picture to show what I mean.


If that is the case, does anyone know if they will readjust themselves to point the right way? Or is it likely that I’ve done something fundamentally wrong?? This is my first Itoh peony so don’t really know what to expect to be honest.  

Any help and feedback would be very much appreciated!

Thank you! 🙂

Posts

  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    At best guess, I would say that you’ve planted it on its side. The direction the roots should face is indicated by the position they are in when those pink shoots are pointing vertically. That is, you may need to turn it through 90 degrees. Having said that, though, it’s not an ideal time of year to move peonies. Also, a pot of the size you have here is not big enough for an Itoh. They are even bigger than the lactiflora hybrids, which don’t like pot life, and will only tolerate it for a year or two. If you don’t have open ground for your beauty, then it would be a good idea, when you do move it in the autumn (after its foliage has died down) to plant in something the size of a half barrel. In the direction it’s pointing now, some of the buds may well be buried under the soil and those will be lost, but your plant will still prefer to be the right way round eventually :smile:
  • Luke_SLuke_S Posts: 7
    @Cambridgerose12 ahhh I thought the bits sticking out of the soil were last years woody stems chopped back! So are they actually roots/part of the crown which should be below soil level? I originally had it planted with the buds facing up, but was concerned that the lowest buds would be buried too deeply.  I only received it last week, so it hasn’t had very long to get established so I could still un-pot it carefully and pot it up again and rotate 90degrees. The pot is only temporary too- I was going to let it establish a few more roots and then place the whole thing in a big raised bed. 

    I am very much a schoolboy in this one and was working largely on guess work 😀
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    I’d position it so the shoots are pointing upwards, with the brown bits just below the soil... if possible.
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