I bought a couple of Japanes tree peonies after being impressed by the
blooms from several herbaceous varieties that I planted two years ago.
The staff member at the nursery advised that I plant the tree peonies
in an acidic soil, and she recommended that I get an azalea mix along
with Miracid.

However, after reading my gardening book, it was indicated that tree
peonies prefer slightly alkaline soils (6.5 to 7.5 ph). We have
extremely hard clay soil where we live and I would like to simply grow
the peonies in pots.

Do I plant them in the azalea mix or should I disregard the advice from
the garden staff and plant the tree peonies in a normal potting mix?

Thank you.

Jeffery