Hi! I was hoping you might have a little insight on my bleeding heart. I live in northern California, where the weather ranges between 90-115 during the summer. My bleeding heart has been growing wonderfully, in moist soil and a shady area. I have never had one before, so I want to be sure I am caring for it properly. It hasn't budded yet (I just planted it early this spring), but the greenery is flourishing. My concern, however, is that the tips of the leaves are starting to yellow. Do you have any suggestions as to why this is happening and how I can prevent it?
Thank you for you time!
Jennifer
Bleeding heart....and a new gardner!
reefchic7
Jun 05, 2001
The old fashioned bleeding heart will go dormant if it gets too hot and dry. It sounds like that's what yours is doing. It may not have flowered just because it's a young plant. I can usually keep mine going through summer with extra water ... but I'm in Maine. Now that I think of it the first year I planted it went dormant for most of the summer. It came back the following spring bigger & better.... blooming it's head off. The leaves yellow & die back and I just cut the foliage off after it starts looking too ratty. Just keep it watered well and it will be fine next year.
reefchic7
Jun 06, 2001
Thanks! So you think it is probably not getting enough water? It has just been growing like a weed, and it looked wonderful and healthy up until the past couple of days.
Jennifer
I don't think it would hurt to give it extra water but it might just be the warm temps that will trigger it to go dormant. It could just be an internal clock and he's pooping out and wants to rest. If it does go dormant I don't think there's much you can do to stop it.
reefchic7
Jun 06, 2001
Okay! Thank you for all your help. :o) I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything to kill it. I was really babying it, because they are so gorgeous and I know friends who haven't been able to get them to grow here.
Is there anything I can spray on my flowers, or treat them with, that would prevent them from being eaten by animals or bugs?
Jen
Do you have something eating them? It's probably best to figure out what the bugs or critters are that are doing the damage. There really isn't a magic spray to use as a preventative. Some plants are more prone to damage from certain pest than other plants. If you give us some details than maybe we can help you figure out what your pest is.
Good advice from Poppysue. Just want to add that in addition to moisture these plants need to be kept in a very shady spot. Here on the coast they can handle a little morning sun but fromyour temperatures they may need total shade to really do well. Mine usually stay green through to about mid to late summer and go dormant for the late summer into the early fall. They come back with a vengence as soon as spring arrives and spread in moist shady conditions very fast.
A good Bleeding Heart to pick up the slack from the other old fashioned types is Dicentra Scandens AKA Himalayan Climbing Bleeding Heart . It begins growth / blooming much later in the season and continues until frost with LOVELY yellow blooms . I urge all bleeding heart lovers to give this very worthy , beautiful plant a try . It is indeed one of my fav manageable vines that disappear when winter approaches . Happy Gardening AND ROCK ON :)!!
Chooch, this sounds like something I could really use here. Do you happen to have a picture of it? (I checked our data base here and didn't find it).
Here is a link for the Climbing Yellow Bleeding Heart : http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/01635.html
Plant Delights sells this plant in the USA , and so do I if you live in Canada . Happy Gardening !!! :)
Thanks Chooch! I just have to order this! I really appreciate the link to a stateside source!