Now is a good time to move plants

Oh wow — our gardens have come alive again. I have new blooms on a number of plants, and they are turning the garden into a colorful celebration of early fall. It’s fun to wander through the beds without worrying about everything needing water. But once again it’s time to think about moving some plants because fall is the best time to move many of them, including herbaceous peonies and Oriental poppies.

There are two common forms of peony: Herbaceous peonies have thick fleshy roots that send out new growth in the spring and die to the ground in the fall. Tree peonies have a woody stem that sends out new leaves each spring and sheds them in the fall, just like an ordinary tree, which is why tree peonies should be treated like any other shrub.

Herbaceous peonies on the other hand can be divided or they can live quite happily for years with only a good feeding and staking. When I got my starts from a friend several years ago, I put them in without much thought or planning. Now the peonies are fighting with a neighboring plant over space, so it’s time to move.

Peonies need fertile, evenly moist but well-drained soil. They actually do best in heavy clay loam with some organic material added at planting. Prepare the soil in the new planting space a few days ahead, amending the hole with compost, and water the area well by filling the hole several times. Also water the plant you are moving so it’s hydrated and the soil around it is soft.

On digging day, determine how wide the crown of the plant is and then insert a sharp shovel, splitting it through the center. Work your way around the root mass, gently prying up the two sections.

Lift them out carefully and wash the soil off so you can see the roots and the growing “eyes” in the crown of the plant. With a sharp knife cut the root mass into sections that have three stout shoots, four to six inches long with three to five eyes.

You can use smaller pieces, but they will take longer to flower.

Planting depth is critical to ensure flowering. In our colder climate the recommended depth is 1.5 to 2 inches. If the root section is planted too deeply, the plant will not bloom.

Water it well and keep the soil moist around the transplants until the real cold sets in. Mark the spot where you planted so you don’t dig into it in the spring.

Oriental poppies are another plant that prefers to be moved in the fall. Because the plant was dormant over the summer, you might have to look carefully for the little tuft of hairy leaves that resprouted after the summer heat.

Dig compost into your new planting space, and water the area well. Locate the crown of the plant and start digging about a foot out from the clump until you find its mass. Carefully work your way around the plant and lift the clump out of the ground.

Wash off enough dirt so you can see the root and its crown. With a sharp knife, cut apart sections of the skinny tuberous roots, each with a clump of leaves attached.

The larger the pieces you cut, the stronger the new plant will be. Replant immediately in amended soil at the same level the root sections were originally in the ground. Water well and mark the planting site.

Look forward to lots of blooms next year.

Upcoming class

Fall is a great time to take some classes to learn something new, and you can spend the winter dreaming up ways to use your newfound knowledge. One such opportunity is coming up Oct.7, 14, and 21.

Tonie Fitzgerald, WSU Extension horticulture agent, will teach her popular Naturalizing Your Landscape class at the WSU/Spokane County Extension Education Center.

Fitzgerald will teach the class in three sections.

The first class will cover basic concepts and design of naturalized landscaping and how to apply them to both new and existing landscapes. Fitzgerald has done this to her own South Hill yard.

The second class will cover the plant materials that can be used in a naturalized landscape.

Some of them are native to the Inland Northwest. Others are plants that will do well in the same environment.

The third section will cover how to attract wildlife to your new yard and how to deal with the potential of wildfire if your home is near forested areas.

The class fee is $50 ($65 for families sharing materials) which covers handouts and a copy of Landscaping with Native Plants.

Pre-registration is required and can be done by contacting the WSU Spokane County Extension Office, 222 N. Havana St., Spokane, WA 99202, or by calling (509) 477-2048. Space is limited.