Advice needed on caring for bare rooted peonies

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Author Message   Maggiepie  Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 09:01 am EST :    Hello, Costco is selling bare rooted peonies, I bought two packs containing 4 roots each bag. Some of them already have shoots with leaves. If I pot them up now, what sort of temps can they handle? Am thinking maybe I should have waited before buying, we are still having below zero temps and still have at least 3 feet of snow. Would they be ok in an unheated garage? Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"   Abgardeneer  Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 12:55 pm EST :    Any that are still dormant could be kept dormant in the bags in a refrigerator or dark cold room or in any other dark place that doesn't freeze. You will want to make sure they don't dry out, also- you may have to moisten them. Those that have sprouted can be potted up and kept above freezing. (They needn't be warm but it would be best not to let the top growth freeze.) Since they have top growth, it would be best to keep them in light, otherwise the top growth will get weaker and paler and more spindly. (If you keep them indoors or in a garage, bear in mind that they will need some hardening-off before finally being put outdoors - otherwise the top growth may sunburn and die - though the roots may be able to regenerate even then.) Ahh, don't you love the big box stores - if it's planting-out time in the southern US, that's all that counts! The local big chain hardware store is already flogging geraniums - actually right on time, despite that it's 3 1/2 months before our last frost. My husband worked at a garden center for many years; when the big box stores started getting tomatoes and what not in in March, one of the common questions to be fielded was: "I just bought tomatoes at Rona/Walmart/Home Hardware/etc. - so I can plant them out now, right?" Errr, no. Abgardeneer - Alberta, Zone "3"   Maggiepie  Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 02:27 pm EST :    Thanks for the input Lori, unfortunately none of them were still dormant and in fact one was totally missing ( were supposed to be two of each kind per pack) I wasn't even sure which was up and which was down with the roots. I probably planted them upside down. In fact the shoots were all twisted and pointing in different directions so I just covered them over with the potting mix. Hope that doesn't have a bad effect. I just couldn't resist them for the price, not sure if they were 11.95 or 12.95$ a bag. I really wanted the Raspberry Sundaes. Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"   Abgardeneer  Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 12:10 am EST :    Oops, I should have said it's more like 2 1/2 months before our last frost. } Abgardeneer - Alberta, Zone "3"

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