You want to avoid damaging the roots while also digging up as much of the root as possible. Although you may be inclined to start dividing your peony as soon as you have the crown and the roots in ...

Peonies are tubers, and you can divide a section of its crown with a few premature buds and attached tubers ... These include bacterial blight, foliage becoming coated with a fungal powdery mildew, or ...