hi, turns out the house we moved to in the fall has a longish row (looks VERY long when i think about dividing!) of fairly thick daffodils with some snow drops and peonies mixed in...one of the peonies seems largish (ants keep eating the buds) and the others have barely topped the daffodil leaves...my question is what is the best way to go about dividing them when there is a mixture of bulbs?
the picture is of the end with the largest peony
thanks,
lynda
Not sure what you are asking. Do you want to divide the daffodils or move some of the peonies or both? If you want to move some of the peonies, can just tuck any daffodil bulbs that might get disturbed back in where you want them. Looks like you have some nice space so some lovely options.
i want to divide the daffodils for a less structured look (complete straight line now)
i'm nervous because i haven't dealt with peonies before and i'd like them to live and even consider blooming & i haven't had other bulbs mixed in before either
we are on just over 10 acres so there is room to play :-)
thanks!
When you dig, you'll be able to tell the difference between the daffodil bulbs and the snowdrops I think. And the peonies have a rhizome, rather than a bulb.
However, now is not the best time to dig them unless you don't care about saving them. If you want to save the bulbs, wait at least until the foliage starts to die down. The foliage is now gathering up energy for the bulb. Once the foliage is pretty much yellowed, I think it would be okay to dig them. That shouldn't be too long, but might be a month or so.
As for the peonies, do you intend to leave them where they are and build beds leaving them undisturbed? If so, that shouldn't be a problem. They won't mind you working around them and should still bloom.
If you are planning on digging them up and transplanting them somewhere else, it would be best to wait until late summer/early fall.
The reason that some of the peonies are small could be that the thickness of the bulbs is taking all the moisture and nutrients. Once you thin out the Daffodils I think they will do just fine.
Oh, and ants on the peonies is perfectly normal. Some say that the ants are necessary for the buds to open. Some say that it's an old wives tale. As far as I know the verdict is still out on that one, but what I do know is that the ants aren't going to hurt the peonies.
