Paeonia cambessedessii problem

[mark smyth]

Since Wednesday I've been clearing the back yard to make way for the new beds and special visitors coming in April.

Today I accidentally kicked over the pot containing my Paeonia cambessedessii. The plant has no roots yet it flowered OK this year. It has three nice buds. There were no weevils in the mix. Is it dying? Should I plant it in the ground?

[Lesley Cox]

I'd be inclined to plant it either in a pot or in the ground in a patch of pure gritty sand, to encourage it to grow some new roots. Just in soil it might rot at this time of your year. I'd also dust it with a fungicide to be on the safe side.

A lot of paeonies grow from pieces of root, i.e. root cuttings so if there's a bit which could be detached, try that in a pot of damp sand, maybe with a rooting hormone.

[Hans A.]

Mark, I would keep them in a pot with a good drainaged soil and with only little water. This species in its natural habitat  grows mainly in heavy clay soil or terra rossa on northfacing slopes - it never will get waterlogged- in difference to mine:
Yesterday I wanted to plant 6 four years old Paeonia cambessedesii seedlings in the garden to win a bit of space (which for sure will be occupied very soon by new pots... ) - this 6 plants were still okay in summer - but yesterday three of the pots were empty -  nothing left - there were no sign of weevils - I do not know what happend but i supose they got to wet and rotted in early autumn in the plastic pot - doubt planted out in the soil would have happend something like that.
The others look fine and have good looking roots and will get leaves soon -  just small p. clusii are faster and have foliage actually.

[mark smyth]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'll blame on uour high rainfall this summer