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DICENTRA GUIDES

D. spectabilis with arching stems bearing flowers that are pink and shaped like hearts with a ‘bleeding’ white petal

DivisionGrowing From SeedPruning

Bleeding Heart , orLamprocapnosspectabilis , as they have late been reclassify botanically , is a arresting , shade - loving perennial that flowers from late spring into former summertime .

With heart - shaped flowers in red , pinkish or livid that dangle from arching stem , they make an elegant increase to any garden and are particularly befit to cozy and bungalow garden strategy .

small dicentra shrub with drooping stems doting heart-shaped pink blooms and lobed leaves

As a glob - forming perennial , bleeding hearts can become prone to congestion and should generally be divided every 4 - 5 years to continue their vigour and encourage blossom .

you may rear and divide bleeding heart plants by following these steps :

This physical process is explained in more depth below .

hands shown digging and lifting a dicentra plant from the soil

1) Lift The Plants

Bleeding heart plant can be divided in either spring or autumn .

However , they are well divided in springtime , just as new growth is appearing , to give the new division plenty of time to establish before the colder wintertime conditions sets in .

When lift bleed core , seek and choose a teetotal twenty-four hours when the dirt is not frozen or waterlogged .

dicentra plant with roots removed from soil and placed on a wooden surface

Using a fair and piercing spade , dig around the plant and gently lift it from the ground , trying to keep as much of the roots intact as possible .

2) Remove Any Excess Soil

Once lifted , set aside on a tarp or tray and try and remove any excess territory from around the roots , to facilitate create a absolved view when it comes to separate the plant .

3) Divide The Crown

Once the grease has been removed from the roots , the works is ready for dividing .

A sharp and unobjectionable tongue , garden spade or trowel can be used to slice the exist clump into 2 - 3 equal sections or more depending on the size of the original plant life .

If a knife is not sufficient , a adage or spade can be used to divide the sections , and an former bread knife localize away solely for this determination can testify amazingly effective .

dicentra plant including roots divided into two separate plants with a hand trowel laid alongside

In order of magnitude to give the new divisions the best chance potential of modernize into a inviolable and healthy flora , each new division demand to have a nice division of radical attached and a new bud or two render in the crown .

4) Pot Up / Plant Out

Once the divisions have been made , they are ready to be engraft out or pot up into container .

If you wish , a naval division can be planted back in the position it antecedently was in or a piece of the original clump can be left in the earth to carry on .

To muckle up into a container , take a size slightly profoundly and wide-eyed than the roots and fill up to one - third of it with a potting mix or general - aim , peat - free compost .

dicentra plant divisions potted up in two cut off bottles alongside a hand trowel

“ division are a great mode to increase the sizing of a clump by replacing one large flora with a larger clump   of 3 - 5 plants , ” explains Colin Skelly , a Horticultural Consultant .

“ Alternatively , fresh planting can be established or plants established in plants for future enjoyment or for present or charity plant sales . ”

localize the part into the pot at the same depth it was antecedently imbed at and backfill with soil , gently firming the soil down as you go to stress and eliminate any breeze pockets .

young bleeding hearts plant with a few pink flowers emerging amongst the foliage

If the base are slenderly too braggy for the pot or are sticking out , they can be trimmed judiciously using a clear and tart couple of secateurs .

Water well on planting , protect from any harsh weather and keep the soil moist until establish .

If planting out straight into a seam or delimitation , the same advice as above follows .

However , it is advisable to work in some organic thing before plant to give it a encouragement and to tote up mulch afterwards to serve conserve wet as it establishes .