the problems with peonies

[sesperry]

I'm new to gardening peonies (and this forum, so forgive me if I drone on). I've always loved their giant blooms and fragrance, and we have the perfect, sunny yard for them, but I've run into a disastrous level of wilt, and I need some help. I bought a 6 quart peony plant from a big box store. I know, I know...but he was so lonely there all by himself , and he looked healthy (absence of any noticeable pest insects, mildew, mold, soil was moist, root ball wasn't exposed or too deep). Anyway, I put the plant in the ground last week; there's plenty of drainage, the soil ph is fine (not perfect for peonies, but not overly nitrogen rich either), there isn't any "competition" for nutrients from other plants or shrubs nearby, and the spot is protected from heavy wind. Everything seemed great, "Karl" (peony's new name/identity) was grateful and settling into his new spot nicely, things were coming up roses (so to speak) but here's what happened next...WILT and it appears to be spreading to the healthy stalks. Now half of the plant seems to be dying, and I have no idea what to do. Any help or recommendations would be so so appreciated (from myself and Karl).

[LIcenter]

First welcome sesperry,
You might want to try lifting it a little. Hard to tell from the pic, but to me it looks like it's below the ground level, which peonies do not like.

[imafan26]

What are the chances of a peony surviving in Hawaii, zone 12. My friend comes from the mainland and he is a novice gardener but he likes to experiment. He bought some peonies from Walmart. P.S. Big box stores here often bring in things that are impractical and just inappropriate for our area. Buyer beware.

He has a peony in a pot. He says the plant looks alive but is not growing. It should be blooming by now.

[sesperry]

LIcenter, thank you for the welcome and the helpful tip. The plant is at ground level, but it's in a circular rock bed (rocks are about 4-6 inches high) does this make a difference? I would just hate to dig it up while it's in this weakened state.

[douglasbeale]

I have a mature peonie and it's always been one of my favorites. I've read you can separate them, but I didn't want to take the chance so I bought another one last year. It was real hot, and I think I got it from the "buy or die" shelf for a few bucks. It looked even worse after I planted it, but I just kept taking care of it. I thought it was dead by the end of the year, but this year it came back and has lovely foliage but isn't blooming and my other one has already past bloom. I have no doubt it will survive, but I guess it wont flower this year. If I were you, I would just keep doing what you're doing, keep it alive, it may take a few seasons to flower like mine.