I think Bleeding Hearts are one of the most elegant looking plants a gardener can grow. Each stem is covered with light green foliage, with delicate flowers cascading down a stem of their very own. Once you get one of these gorgeous plants to establish itself in your flower garden, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to grow. Here are 5 tips on caring for bleeding hearts to get you started.
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Water Sparingly
Bleeding heart plants only need an inch of water during a single week to grow properly. If you have a regular occurrence of rain, then you won’t have to worry much about supplementing the plant with more water. Once the blooms appear, keep the soil moist in order to help blooms remain for a longer period of time.
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Add Mulch around the Plant
Keeping a constant supply of mulch layered around the Bleeding Heart plant will not only help control weeds, but it will also prevent the water from evaporating too quickly. Any type of mulch will do.
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Compost and/or Fertilizer Will Help Keep the Plant Healthy
These plants are a heavy feeder, which means you will need to make sure each plant has a constant source of nutrients. A slow-release granular fertilizer works best well. It never hurts to add some organic compost to the soil around the Bleeding Heart or even just some dried leaves that have been chopped up.
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Deadhead for More Blooms
I don’t know about you, but I want my flowers to bloom as long as possible. A Bleeding Heart plant is just one type of plant that produces more blooms as the old ones are picked off. You can pick these off by hand or snip them off with a pair of sharp scissors.
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Trim Plants Back after First Fall Frost
You’ll want to cut back your Bleeding Heart flower right after the first frost kills the foliage in the fall. Cut the stems down to just a couple of inches above the ground.
I hope you get the chance to grow one of these amazing plants in your garden. They are absolutely beautiful. Is there any reason you might be hesitant about growing a Bleeding Heart plant?
Top Photo Credit: avalilly
