Hi fellow Janesville-ite!!!! I don't have any answers, just wanted to say HI!!!

The person that is listed as organizing the Wisconsin group is Scott Parker of Tomah, Wisconsin. He is also the person in charge of the APS seed exchange. I will try for an address for information at the APS meeting next week.

I was just reading on the web sight of a peony farm near me that grass roots compete with the peonies roots to the detrement of the peony roots. So mayby if you clear out everything around the peony and keep it clear and feed them they will recover. I don,t know if its okay to list the web sight of the farm but you can pm me for it.

Do you have any moles or gophers or other animals that may be tunneling under the roots so they are exposed to air and dry out?

If you decide to dig and divide them, here is an excellent article on how to.

Here is a link that might be useful: Digging and Dividing Peonies

scott parker
23409 desoto ave tomah wi 54660
(608)378-4778
wipeonysociety.org

you need to divide them. when they start producing smaller flowers... especially 50 year-old ones.... divide, divide, divide. you can do them in the fall, OR spring. i have 35 yr-old ones and will do the same in a few weeks.
happy days!

by the by, plan on a lot of new bulbs under each peony plant.
i dug up 1 and there must have been 30 or so new bulbs to plant!