Bleeding Hearts

I'm not sure I planted them right, there's a like stick part and then something that appears either as roots or eyes as it says on the box. I'm trying to plant perrenials that will grow in the shade and this is one. Can anyone tell me exactly how to plant, whether the stick part goes up or the other way around? Thanks, Denise

Without seeing the roots I couldn't say but there is one way around any plant you can't tell which way up it goes and that's to plant it on it's side.

You can plant things upside down too, the shoots will still grow upwards but it does drain the plant of extra energy so it's not recommended as a common practice.

I'm sure this isn't the recommended method, but it's what I did a few weeks ago.

I put the root soaking in a bowl of water, in a warm shady location. In a couple of days I could see where it was starting to grow. Then I knew how to plant it.

Of course, the whole thing might have gotten rotten - I suppose I could have lost the whole plant. But I lucked out and now its almost a foot tall. It was a 'free bonus' that came with a bulb order, so it wasn't that important to me ... my DD loves it, so it's now her's. =)

I guess a less risky way would be to just keep it moist by misting it several times a day, rather than actually soaking it ... I dunno. I didn't really think about it at the time ...

Cheri'

Oh Thankyou, well I have a few in the ground already based on how it said to plant but I have more so will try your methods. They came in a box and they have like a 1/2 in. like stick and then something???? growing out of the stick, based upon the pkg. how it said to plant I assumed the eyes were what were coming out of the stick. Cheri based on having a few more I will take one and soak like you said and see. Thanks Again! Denise

Here's some we planted in pots for sale. They were potted around March 15, blooming by end of the month!
Picture taken April 10.
Bernie

Here is mine today.

Countrygarden and Melissa they are beautiful aren't they. Will mine flower this year? Also can I still dig up the others and save them???? HELP!!!! Thanks, Denise

Ours, we bought as bare root plants. If yours ae that, they should bloom. Most are spring bloomers.
They are perennial, so you can dig anytime.
Bernie

The one we planted a few weeks ago has a single pink heart on it. =) I'm really starting to like this plant .... I'm not convinced it's going to do well in the heat of the summer, but if it does, I'll have to get more! Actually, I'll have to get any at all, since I gave this one to DD ... LOL!

Cheri'

Mine was a bare root as well, and it's been in the ground for probably 5 or 6 years. It was a gurney's plant. I tend to think I did have a couple of blooms the first year it was in the ground, but I am not positive.

Thanks for all your help, I'm concerned now that I've allowed the roots to dry out but am going to dig up and try again. Thanks for the pictures and your knowledge. Sundry, I noticed on its packageing that it says best to leave alone and that it's a plant that needs to be in the shade, do you have yours in the sun? Denise

It's in the shade, in a pot on the patio. DD doesn't have her beds built yet, so all of her stuff is in pots. We've got a regular plant refugee camp there ... LOL! She plans to plant it in a very shady spot.

This one came from Van Dycks, of all places. A free bonus. I've killed several of these that came from lesser places in the past. I'd given up on them, until now.

Cheri'

Maybe you didn't kill them Cheri. They completely disappear in the summer! Then appear again next spring!

These disappeared, and never returned! LOL But they were sickly little things to begin with .... this was years ago, maybe as long ago as the early 90's.

I find that I'm better off to get bare root plants from amateurs (ie folks at DG) than professionals. In general, the plants I get from trading are so much stronger, healthier and better packed than those from mail order houses. I guess it's a matter of quality Vs. quantity.

I haven't been a subscriber for quite a year, yet, but I'm totally spoiled to fat healthy plants!

Cheri'

I know what you mean on the never returned. I planted 2 and one never arrived, let alone returned! Tried to get a refund and I had to bring in the dead root for a refund at wallyworld. guess that's what you get for buying there. I don't learn either! Just bought a fernleaf bleeding heart at Lowe's. It's really big and healthy so I think it'll be fine.

You're sure right about the generosity of DGers. I've got seeds coming up outside, in the livingroom and in the spare bedroom! Be a few more weeks before planting outside. Getting anxious here! RU this wknd. So excited!!

CG & MO those are absolutely gorgeous!

Yes, the bleeding hearts are blooming, the pink is a transplant from my son's yard last year, and the white is two years old. Wish they lasted longer. Tulips are coming up in stages, some already blooming and some just starting. So lovely to have some color on these gray Wisconsin days...

well to my surprise even though I've planted wrong something is sprouting, hope i have as much luck that they will return. So they completely disappear in summer leaving no green? I was hoping this would be a hearty perrenial! Thanks, Denise

Sheila they are lovely :) Is it still cold up there in Wisconsin? I have friends in Fondy

Denise - they are quite hardy. I lost one that was about 12 yrs. old two winters ago. And it did totally disappear every summer. The peony bush would kinda fill in where it was and then it would be back the next spring. The new one I bought is now about a foot tall - not sure if it'll bloom this year or wait a year. :)

Thanks Kooger! Denise

I've been growing the Fringed Bleeding Heart for a few years now and it blooms all summer, is tough as nails and gorgeous. It's lived under tons of snow some winters and dry below-zero temperatures in others. I take starts of it by digging up a clump from the edge of the bed and give it away or plant in a different bed and it hardly notices. If this is the kind you have you wiill have flowers nearly all summer!

My bleeding heart has yellowed leaves like an iron deficiency, even though I put some Texas grensand arount the base. Maybe I should have used something else? They had such beautiful blooms at the beginning - now they look like they are struggling. We have a party coming up Saturday and I wanted all my plants to look good...

hmmm, kooger says they disappear during the summer, maybe yours are dieing back?

DD's is still lush and green and growing. No more flowers, tho, just the one tiny heart back in April.

Cheri'

Shudhave, Yes that is what they're suppose to look like once they've grown, I purchased this year and I guess thru learning here it was a root so it's starting to sprout some green right now, even the ones I planted wrong and was going to dig up but figured better left alone since they were growing. Do you keep yours in a shaded area? You think I will have blooms this summer? Thanks, Denise

Most of mine has a little morning sun and then shade the rest of the day. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you get a few flowers this summer...but NEXT summer you'll have a bunch! Enjoy them!