Overwintering Peonies

[mnken]

We have just received some peonies tubors from the Washington DC area that are from plants at least 50 years old. As we live in West Central MN, where temps go as low as -25, a couple of questions...

Whats the best way to preserve these until spring to plant?
How can we get them to survive the winters here?

We have no idea of the variety, as we haven't seen them in over 25 years, but they are light pink.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[KimmSr]

Most peonies are very hardy, zone 4, and they all need some chilling hours (some sources list that ranging from 100 to 300 hours) so they will do fine in Minnesota, providing you plant them properly. For the rest of this winter those roots will need to be kept cool and somewhat moist, wrapped in just slightly moist newspaper and stored where the temperature does not get over about 45 degrees is fine. In the spring as soon as you soil can be worked prepare the planting bed. This link to North Carolina state Universities paper on growing peonies should be of some help, http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8501.html

[Pippi]

We live in Md. outside of WashDC and we also wait until late August to dig up our peonies to divide. Cut back all the foliage before you dig. Just plant and mulch heavily and you should be okay. At the house where we lived previously for 27 yrs. I had the most beautiful pink variety, had no idea what the name of it was, but it smelled heavenly and produced double blooms. Moved in Feb. so couldn't dig it up as the ground was frozen. I inherited a white peony with pink edges when I moved here 3 1/2 yrs. ago and it is ugly. We thought we had dug it out but I see it's back again. I tried to raise the Karl lagerfeld one time but was never successful. I'd like to try again for that deep burgundy. Some of the azeleas along the back of our house are looking pretty "worst for wear" and I may just dig them up and throw out.