When do you move plants??

Last year was the first time that I had planted anything. I got in a hurry to get stuff in the ground & more or less just stuck the plants everywhere.
I have peonies & cannas on one side of my house. I am considering moving them so I can plant my elephant ears by the house. If I do move these, when would be the best time to dig them & move them? *The peonies are poking up now but the callas haven't shown yet.*

I wouldnt move them until fall. They are just starting to come to life and I think you would harm them if you moved them now. I may be wrong, we'll see what others have to say.
Christine

Peonies absolutely resent being moved. When we plant these, we take extra time to prepare the hole. make sure there is plenty of good, rich organic matter. dig a hole about 1.5 x 1.5, fill it up with manure or compost. When you plant the peonie, make sure the "eyes" of the root mass are NO MORE THAN 1" deep. If you bury them deeper than this, they will produce abundant foliage but no flowers.

Peonies also usually need support when the heavy blooms start to form - roll a piece of 1" or 2" square chicken wire into a 1' diameter tube roughly 3-4 feet tall and place this around the plant when it is 6-8" tall; they will usually be hidden from view by the time the plant is ready to flower. alternatively, paint them green.

Remove spent peony flowers immediately and leave the vegetation to grow until the end of the season - the plant needs this extra time to stockpile energy for the winter and next year's blooms.

If you follow this advice, your Peony should produce lots of beautiful flowers for many years to come. My grandmother had a poeny plant in her back yard that was in the same spot for more than 50 years and still kept producing blooms year after year.

***It IS possible to divide peonies; however this should be done only every 5-6 years, and only when there are five or more "eyes" on the root mass. Make sure the new clump has at least two eyes, and make sure you prepare the hole properly for the new division.***

(There really is no "best" time to move a peony - just plant it according to the above directions. You'll almost definitely lose that season's flower, however. Sorry, but i don't have much experience with Canna's.)

This message was edited Mar 31, 2010 5:37 PM

I go by a author of an excellent perennial guide : "My Favorite Perennials" by Lois Hole-- Advice here I believe to be bang on.
She specifies that the peony requires moving or dividing usually with a saw or spade in September only (Canada).
The technique here when placing in the new spot is not to cover the crown with topsoil. Otherwise, plant won't bloom.

Agree on the peonies-- they are tough. But, otherwise, many plants can be moved without much trouble if you do so when they are dormant, i.e., not flowering. Fall is typically the best time, but if you have ones that flower in the later summer you can move them now. Just pick a cloudy, cool day and water them well during the first few weeks.