I want to dig up peonies and give to my brother who lives in Ohio. Can I dig them now and save them bare root? Or can I dig them and can he plant them now or is it too late to plant them? If I dig them and put them in a pot in the basement until next spring would that work? They live in zone 6ab and I live in zone 5b. Thank you for your help!

HI Andrea, we recommend digging in September so the best would be to wait til next September. Peonies just don't do a good job of sending out new roots if done in spring. as far as storing they need a cold period 35 degrees for probably 3 months in order to bloom so unless you have cold storage it is tough to keep them. If you just cant wait til next September you could do it now and make sure he mulches with several inches of shredded leaves or wood chips. good luck, sandy