Yes it is best to transplant when dormant. I don't understand your time frame to the permanent location being available, or the size of your plants in their containers. If they are becoming root bound in their containers I would not hesitate to transplant. A root bound peony in a container is almost impossible to keep healthy. Al

Also being in interior BC planting in October could mean the roots necessary for the peonies survival may not form soon enough. If you must hold them in pots it would be better to plant in early September rather than October.

Like Al I am not certain what you are explaining. Are the plants currently in pots that you want to put in ground until the correct spot is ready or do you wish to put the peonies in the ground without pots until the spot is ready?

Calistoga and Maifleur,

Thanks for your responses. I went ahead and dug holes and plants the potted ones that we got recently.

Yes, the plants were in one-gallon pots - my cultivator's broken so I was thinking of keeping them in pots until I could till the soil before planting them, but I bit the bullet and cleared the space by hand.

You answered my question, though, with other peonies - I need to relocate two that in the ground are growing in a not0sunny-enough spot, so I'll do that in the fall.

Much obliged,

jh