Bleeding heart is a favorite plant in partially shaded to shady cottage gardens throughout North America and Europe. Also known as lady-in-the-bath or lyreflower, bleeding heart is one of those beloved garden plants that gardeners can share. Like hosta or daylily, bleeding heart plants can easily be divided and transplanted throughout the garden or shared with friends. Just a small tuber of a bleeding heart can eventually become a beautiful specimen plant. If you happen to be a lucky recipient of a piece of a friend’s bleeding heart, you may question how to plant a bleeding heart rhizome. Continue reading to learn about growing bleeding hearts from tubers.
Bleeding Heart Rhizome Planting
Bleeding heart plants are usually sold as growing container perennials, bare root plants, or in packages as tubers. As growing container plants, they are already leafed out, may be flowering, and you can plant them in the garden whenever you purchase them. Bare root bleeding heart and bleeding heart tubers are the dormant roots of the plant. They both need to be planted at specific times in order to eventually leaf out and bloom. You may wonder which is better to plant, bleeding heart tubers vs. bare root bleeding heart. Both have their pros and cons. Bleeding heart bare root plants should only be planted in spring and require special planting. Bleeding heart tubers can be planted in fall or spring. In the proper site, with proper spacing, planting bleeding heart tubers is as easy as digging a hole an inch or two (2.5-5 cm.) deep, placing the tuber inside, and covering with soil. However, bleeding heart tubers generally take longer to establish and flower than bare root bleeding hearts.
How to Grow Bleeding Heart Tubers
When bleeding heart plants are divided in fall or spring, sections of their rhizomes can be used to grow new plants. Garden centers and big box stores also sell packages of bleeding heart tubers in spring and fall. Like all bleeding heart plants, these tubers will need to be planted in a partially shaded location with rich, well-draining soil. Bleeding heart plants cannot tolerate heavy clay, or other poorly draining soil, and their young tubers will quickly rot in these sites. Amend the soil with organic material if necessary. When you purchase or are given bleeding heart tubers, plant only the pieces that are fleshy; dried up brittle pieces will most likely not grow. Each piece that is planted should have one or two eyes, which will be planted facing upward. Plant tubers about 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) deep, and about 24 to 36 inches (61-91 cm.) apart. Water the plants well after planting and be sure to mark the site so they don’t accidentally get dug up or pulled out as weeds.
-
Get Gardening For Better Sleep: Why Gardens And Plants Can Give You Happier BedtimesWe all know gardening is intrinsically linked to a ‘feel good’ factor – have you ever wondered why it helps with rest? Here’s the thinking behind gardening for better sleep…
-
Electric Composter Guide: Are Countertop Food Recyclers The Future Of Sustainability?Discover how electric composters work, their benefits and limitations – and whether they're worth the investment as a sustainable easy win.
-
Houseplant Bleeding Heart Care – Growing A Bleeding Heart Plant InsideIn order to be able to grow bleeding heart as a houseplant, it is important to know the conditions that this plant enjoys outdoors.
-
Bleeding Heart Color Change – Do Bleeding Heart Flowers Change ColorKnown for their lovely heart-shaped blooms, the most common color of which is pink, the gardener may find that a previously pink bleeding heart flower is changing color. Is that possible? Do bleeding heart flowers change color and, if so, why? Find out here.
-
Caring For Bleeding Hearts: How To Grow A Fringed Bleeding Heart PlantWhile the old-fashioned Asian native bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) is the most commonly used type in gardens, growing fringed bleeding heart varieties is gaining popularity. What is a fringed bleeding heart? Click here for more information.
-
Bleeding Heart Pest Problems – Common Bugs That Eat Bleeding Heart PlantsBleeding heart is an old-fashioned perennial that adds color and charm to shady spots in your garden. While the plant is surprisingly easy to grow, it can fall prey to a number of pesky insects. If you think something is bugging your plant, click here to learn more.
-
Bleeding Heart Diseases – Recognizing Diseased Bleeding Heart SymptomsBleeding heart (Dicentra spectablis) is a relatively hardy plant in spite of its lacy foliage and delicate, dangling blooms, but it can be plagued by a handful of diseases. Click on the following article to learn about common diseases of bleeding heart plants.
-
Caring For Bleeding Heart Transplants – How To Transplant A Bleeding Heart PlantGot a bleeding heart plant that always looks spindly, yellow and barely producing any flowers? If you find yourself in a circumstance like this and need to move a bleeding heart plant, then click on the article that follows for information on transplanting bleeding hearts.
-
Winterizing A Bleeding Heart Plant – How To Overwinter A Bleeding HeartBleeding heart bushes bring a colorful and Old World charm to any garden. But what should you do when temperatures start to drop? Click here to learn more about bleeding heart winter care and how to protect a bleeding heart during winter.
-
Tips For Bleeding Heart Pruning – How To Prune A Bleeding Heart PlantBleeding heart plants are beautiful perennials that produce very distinctive heart-shaped flowers. But how do you keep one in check? Does it need regular pruning, or can it be allowed to grow on its own? Learn more about how and when to prune bleeding hearts here.
