Bleeding heart – care of the plant

The ideal location and soil

In its original home in Korea and China, the ornamental plant thrives in the partial shade of light mountainous forests. The bleeding heart can easily cope with light, partially shaded places in our gardens at home. Well hidden in the light shade of trees and taller shrubs, the herbaceous heart of Mary is best able to thrive. Too much direct sunlight often ensures that especially young plants take care of them. Older flaming hearts, on the other hand, can even stand the blazing midday sun, but the root ball must not dry out. Over time, the bushy growing plant acquires a lush girth and needs a certain minimum distance from neighboring perennials.

Bleeding hearts need a humus-rich, loose soil. Excess rainwater and irrigation water must be able to drain off without any problems, but it should be possible to store a certain amount of residual liquid in the ground. For the optimal development of the heart-shaped flowers, the root ball of the East Asian plant must never dry out completely in the summer.

The most important points about the location summarized:

• Moderate sun exposure for young plants
• Light penumbra sheltered from the wind is preferred.
• Well drained, humus rich soil
• A slight lime content in the soil stores moisture

Fertilizing and watering

The perennial plant, which can grow up to one meter high, needs a moderately moist soil, especially during the flowering period. A temporary dry period does not harm the bleeding heart, but the plant with its distinctive appearance hardly grows during this time and does not develop any further flowers. Waterlogging must be avoided at all costs. A rule of thumb says: water moderately, but a little more often.

As a forest inhabitant, the herbaceous perennial is not very maintenance-intensive. This factor is also reflected in fertilization. In early spring and late autumn, it is enough to add a thick layer of compost to the soil of the plant. An overdose of fertilizer is avoided and the plant still receives important nutrients for the next flowering period.

Cultivation

Prepare the soil, dig a hole and insert the plant? Unfortunately, the bleeding heart doesn’t make it that easy. Unfortunately, if you want to have an abundantly blooming shrub in the following year, you have to pay attention to a few things when cultivating it outdoors:

The East Asian ornamental plant is extremely sensitive to frost. However, since the perennial retreats immediately after the flowering period in early to mid-August, it is not the cold temperatures in autumn that can damage it. Rather, spring is critical for the bleeding heart, where frost breaks and night-time minus temperatures are not uncommon. The sensitive leaves die off and the following shoots are not able to produce their full bloom in the same year. In the case of young plants, this event can even lead to the premature death of the perennial perennial.

The following must be observed if you want to cultivate the deciduous forest plant successfully in your own garden:

• The location must not be too shady.
• Early spring is the best time to plant
• Water the young shoots extensively in the first few weeks – avoid waterlogging!
• Suspend the Bleeding Heart as late as possible – mid-April is optimal.
• If the ground frost is announced, cover the plant with a clay pot or plant fleece.
• A thick layer of compost or bark mulch provides additional protection and stores moisture.
• Older plants that were planted in the garden years ago are much more resistant to sub-zero temperatures and do not require any special protective measures.

The bleeding heart is only partially suitable as a container plant. The plants can only develop insufficiently here and develop fewer flowers. If the Asian perennial is still cultivated on the balcony or terrace, a large container – preferably made of clay – must be chosen. The plant tends to form massive rhizomes, which makes regular division of the rhizome necessary. The following tips can help the bleeding heart develop its bushy beauty in pots:

• A large planter is necessary.
• The location must be chosen to be bright.
• If the soil is constantly moist, the plant will also thrive in sunny places.
• Supply regularly with liquid fertilizer.
• Weigh down the planter with stones to secure it.
• A special drainage made of pebbles protects against waterlogging.
• Wrap young plants with a special fleece in winter.

Multiplication

Just as easy to care for as the poppy plant itself, it is also propagated. It is up to each gardener to decide whether this is done by cuttings or by dividing the roots.

Root division :

• The ideal time is immediately after flowering in August or in early spring, before the shoots develop.
• The plant is dug up and the root ball is divided with a sharp knife or spade.
• Plant the individual perennials immediately outdoors according to their location and soil requirements.
• Protect against ground frost – this also applies to the “mother plant”.

Cuttings:

• Immediately after flowering, a shoot about 15 centimeters long is cut off.
• Place in a water glass in a bright spot.
• The first roots will sprout after 10-21 days.
• The shoot is placed in a pot with humus-rich soil.
• Plant in the garden before the first frost.
• Alternatively, let the young Bleeding Hearts overwinter in a bright, cool room.
• Put them in the garden early in spring and protect them from night frosts.

If the location has been well chosen and the other needs of the perennial are also met, it often sows itself in the garden. For all activities that require direct contact with the plant, preventive protection using gardening gloves is recommended.

wintering

There may be ornamental plants that are dug up shortly before the onset of the cold season and stored for the winter. The blooming heart is not one of them and can stay in the garden without any problems.

• A thick layer of humus provides the plant with important nutrients even in winter.
• Protect the new shoots from frost in the spring.
• Perennials grown from cuttings can hibernate in a cool room. That increases their chances of survival.

Transplanting

Lamprocapnos is an extremely local plant. When moving older, established bleeding hearts, they suffer and often do not recover from this event. Propagation via root division is better suited for cultivating the plant with romantic hearts in other places as well. Young cuttings can also be planted as desired, provided that the location and the soil meet their needs.
Unlike their big relatives, the bleeding hearts, heart flowers are much more robust and can easily handle a change of location.

The right care tips.

• Bleeding hearts are not suitable as leading perennials, as they withdraw into the ground after flowering.
• The plants also tolerate sunny locations, but flower formation suffers as a result.
• The perennial does not like an absolutely dark place in the shade.
• Do not cut bleeding hearts or cut them as late as possible. The bad habit of removing wilting shoots immediately weakens the plant and thereby damages the new shoots in the following year.
• Long-term fertilizer containing lime supports the flowering power of the perennial.
• A thick layer of humus or bark mulch stores the moisture – even in the hot summer months.
• Loosen the soil regularly, but avoid damaging the thick rhizome roots.
• The perennial is extremely brittle. Therefore, when working on the neighboring plants, be careful not to break off any shoots or flowers.
• Older plants defy the cold and can also cope with dry periods.
• Ferns, asters, cork’s beaks and all other perennial species that require the same location conditions as the bleeding hearts are suitable as neighboring plants.
• Bald spots left by the perennial in August can be compensated for by neighboring plants that bloom late.
• Remove the withered stalks immediately after flowering. This stimulates the perennial to form new flowers.
• If the wrong location was chosen, divide the plant at the root in the following year and put the “pieces” in a new place.
• Voles love the roots of the perennial. If there is an overpopulation with these hungry rodents, sink the bleeding heart in larger flower pots in the ground.

Diseases and pests

Diseases are extremely rare in the robust plant, and they are often more a sign of a poorly chosen location or incorrect care. However, when the leaves begin to visibly wither in July or August, this is a natural process. The plant retreats into the ground to sprout again in early spring. Special measures are not required, and the withered shoots and leaves may only be removed as late as possible.

Lice are the only pests that very often attack the bushy perennials. The parasites remove the valuable plant sap from the bleeding heart, thus reducing growth and the formation of flowers. The parasites must be eliminated immediately in order to protect neighboring plants from infestation. Hosing down with water must be done carefully with the lamprocapnos. Because the shoots and flowers are extremely delicate and fragile. A brew made from nettles or the use of natural predators such as ladybirds and the larvae of hover flies, lacewings and parasitic wasps have proven to be more effective. These useful helpers are often available from specialist retailers but can also be easily collected in your own garden.

Conclusion
Blooming hearts or their little relatives, the heart flowers, should not be missing in any ornamental bed or cottage garden. The undemanding plants are perennial and hardy, delighting the viewer every year with their lush, heart-shaped flowers. Lamprocapnos are also well suited to conjure up splashes of color between other perennial species.