Years ago when I was new to gardening, I planted my first perennial bed with many of the old-time favorites, such as columbine, delphinium, bleeding heart, etc. For the most part, this flower bed was a beautiful success and helped me discover my green thumb. However, my bleeding heart plant always looked spindly, yellow, and barely produced any flowers. After two years of it dragging my garden down with its shabby, sickly appearance, I finally decided to move the bleeding heart to a less noticeable spot. To my surprise, the following spring this same sad little bleeding heart flourished in its new location and was covered with dramatic blooms and healthy lush green foliage. If you find yourself in a similar circumstance and need to move a bleeding heart plant, then read on to learn how.
How to Transplant a Bleeding Heart Plant
Sometimes we have a vision of a perfect flowerbed in our minds, but the plants have ideas of their own. The simple act of transplanting garden plants to a better location can occasionally help them perform better. Transplanting may seem a little scary and risky when you are new to gardening, but when done properly, oftentimes the risk pays off. Had I been afraid to move my bleeding heart, it probably would have continued to suffer until it died out. Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) is a perennial hardy in zones 3 through 9. It prefers a partially shaded location, where it will have some protection from the intense afternoon sun. Bleeding heart is not too particular about soil type, as long as the location is well draining. When transplanting bleeding heart, choose a site with afternoon shade and well-draining soil.
Caring For Bleeding Heart Transplants
When to transplant bleeding hearts depends on why you are transplanting it. Technically, you can move bleeding heart anytime, but it is less stressful for the plant if you do it in early spring or fall. If the plant is suffering in its current location, cut back any stems and foliage and transplant it to a new location. Bleeding heart plants are typically divided every three to five years. If you find yourself needing to transplant a large, established bleeding heart plant, it may be wise to divide it as well. When transplanting bleeding heart, prepare the new site first. Cultivate and loosen up the soil in the new site and add organic material if necessary. Dig a hole twice as large as the projected root ball. Dig up the bleeding heart, taking care to get as much of the root ball as you can. Plant the bleeding heart in the pre-dug hole and water it thoroughly. Water bleeding heart transplants every day for the first week, then every other day the second week and one to three times a week after that for the first active growing season.
-
How To Grow a Kansas Peony For Sublime Magenta Double Blooms And Enduring FragranceGrowing Kansas peonies will add gorgeous color and fragrance to your garden. Their deep color and lush blooms are sure to make your neighbors jealous!
-
Looking For Full Sun Container Plants? Try These Gorgeous Plant Combos And ThemesThere are plenty of heat-tolerant plants that thrive in containers – but if you’re stuck for ideas, these full sun container plants and planting ideas will help get you started
-
How To Transplant Trees From WoodsLearn the best practices for transplanting deciduous and evergreen trees from the forest.
-
How To Avoid Magnolia Tree Transplant ShockSometimes homeowners find their magnolia isn't planted in an ideal location, which leads them to ask, “Can I transplant a magnolia tree?”
-
How To Transplant A Tree That Produces FruitHow to transplant an apple tree? What is lemon tree transplant shock? Can mature fruit trees be transplanted? Read on for answers to fruit tree transplant questions.
-
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.
-
Moving Established Peonies: How Do You Transplant A Peony PlantOver time, peonies may fail to bloom as before. Moving established peonies is one solution, but can you transplant peonies? Find out here.
-
Moving Pampas Grass: When Should I Transplant Pampas Grass PlantsPampas grass is a stunning addition to the landscape, forming mounds of around 10 feet (3 m.) in diameter. With its quick growth habit, it is easy to understand why many growers ask, “Should I transplant pampas grass?”. Click this article to learn more.
-
Do Sunflowers Transplant Well – Learn About Moving Sunflower PlantsGrowing sunflowers in your landscape provides big yellow blooms that simply shout summer. But do sunflowers transplant well and should you move them at all? Click on the following article to learn more about moving sunflower plants in the garden.
-
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.
