QUESTION: I planted three peonies a few years ago. None flowered until this year, when only one did. I think they are not getting enough sun, and I'd like to move them.ANSWER: Peonies want the sunniest spot you can give them, but wait until September to transplant. When you lift them, be careful not to damage the roots. Break into pieces with four to seven "eyes," as the underground buds are called.If you want true, long-term success with peonies, it takes work. You need a planting area that's big enough to space the divisions at least 18 inches apart (3 feet apart is not too far, especially if you do everything right and can let the plants grow undisturbed for 15 years or more).Dig out the whole area to a depth of at least 18 inches. Fill the bottom 12 inches with soil mixed with organic matter and bonemeal (1½ cups per bushel of improved soil) or superphosphate (½ cup per bushel). Important: Tamp the soil down, water; let settle for a few days.After the soil has settled, fill the rest of the hole with more amended soil (but no fertilizer); plant the peony divisions no more than 2 inches deep, 18 inches apart, no other perennials tucked among them. Compact the soil as you go; it is better for the bed to be 2 or 3 inches higher than the surrounding area. This is all to make sure the peonies will not be deeper than 2 inches as the bed settles over time. Mulch for the first winter.What are essential are sunniness, planting depth, and siting away from competition (including tree roots). Do not plant on the north side of young trees - they will get tall and shade the peonies.The American Peony Society has published an excellent guide, "The Peony Handbook." Send $5 to the society, care of Tim Stanek, 23329 Ellington Ave., Glenwood, Iowa 51537.

QUESTION: Just out of the blue, my mother's roses started getting black spots all over the leaves, and now the roses don't look so nice. Can you tell me what this is and how can I make the roses better?ANSWER: The affliction you describe is cleverly called black spot (Diplocarpon rosae for precision).Since the roses already have black spot, follow the advice of the Philadelphia Rose Society, which recommends spraying with two fungicides in alternation, once every other week for "minimal problems" and weekly if things are worse. The two suggested chemicals are Ortho Rose Fungicide (formerly marketed as Funginex) and Daconil. Daconil is regarded as more toxic, and more effective.Prevention is the better route. The black-spot fungus reproduces from spores in the affected leaves. Splashing water, such as the heavy rains of late, spreads it. Afternoon and evening rains are worse, since the rose is unlikely to dry quickly. When hand-watering is needed, irrigate the soil, not the foliage. Keep the growing area clean, removing fallen rose leaves and putting them in the trash (not the compost).Here's a recipe for a preventive spray, to be used next spring, when foliage is young and susceptible (it won't overcome black spot that has already shown up on the leaves): Into 1 gallon nonchlorinated water, mix 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid, and (optional) 1 tablespoon summer-grade horticultural oil. (Baking soda keeps the acid-loving fungus from taking hold; dish soap and horticultural oil, available at comprehensive garden centers, make the liquid stay on the leaves.)Mix a fresh batch every time you spray, adjust the sprayer to a fine mist, get the undersides of the leaves as well as the tops, and spray often.Send your gardening questions to Michael Martin Mills, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia, PA 19101, or send e-mail to: Millsm@phillynews.com.KRT News Service