Peonies are recommended to be transplanted and divided in the fall. It is not recommended to touch the seedlings. Anyway, in the first three or four years after planting, it is considered extremely undesirable to disturb the plants: the fewer peonies are transplanted, the better it grows. But, as you know, there are exceptions to any rule, and there are times when the recommendations need to be violated.
I will also tell you my story with Peonies. Of the four bushes in the new garden, three were hopelessly overgrown with weeds. In the fall, these incidents were not visible at all in the grass; I saw two bushes when I was trying to clear a small path, and the third was not even known about it until the spring.
Trying to weed is completely pointless. In addition, they were planted in a valley where the water is stagnant, and peonies do not like spring floods at all. In short, I barely pulled a bush out of the clutches of weeds and decided to transplant it. Dig (breaking one of the rules: do not bother in the first three years), there is no place to plant. So they wintered in my basement.
In the spring, my peonies began to grow, so there was nowhere to postpone planting…
In general, if there is a need to transplant peonies in the spring, it is advisable to do it as early as possible. Later, root tubers will be dug out, especially small ones will be traumatic for plants.
In general, from the point of view of technology, spring planting of peonies is not much different from autumn. Since the peony will grow in one place for a long time, you need to take care of its fertilizer. The fertilizer is covered with soil so as not to burn the roots, and carefully placed in the pit where the root tubers are located.
There are two important nuances. First: this is the optimal planting depth, so that the buds are embedded in the soil 5 cm (2 inches) heavier and 7 cm (2.7 inches) on light soils. If you do bury the rhizome, it can be difficult for the peony to develop and flower. If you plant it too shallow, it can get hurt.
Second, the ground must be compacted after planting, but this should be done very carefully. In any case, you do not need to trample your feet, because you can easily damage the precious flower. Thoroughly grind the soil around the plants, then water well, and if the ground has sunk, pour more.
It is believed that the peonies of spring planting are a year behind those that are transplanted in the fall. But when the situation forces you, you just have to deal with it. And with good care (timely watering, fertilizing, weeding), there are no problems with the survival rate of spring planting of peonies.