How to Propagate a Bleeding Heart Flower Plant

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An easy-to-grow perennial and member of the genus Dicentra, the bleeding heart plant comes in several varieties. Each possesses attractive green foliage, complemented by heart-shaped pink or white blooms that hang from thin woody stems. Propagation of the bleeding heart occurs naturally when the mature plant drops its seeds. Gardeners who wish to propagate bleeding hearts can also do so through the division process and by seed collection and germination.

Difficulty:
Moderate

Instructions

things you’ll need:
  • Mature bleeding heart flower seeds
  • Small plastic bag
  • Damp peat moss
  • 4-inch pots
  • Sterile potting soil
  • Water
  • Spray bottle
  • Sharp knife
  • Grow light
  • Plant heating pad

Seed Germination

  1. Wait for the flowers to fall from the plant, revealing light green seedpods. Once the seedpods pop open, they will reveal hanging black seeds.
  2. Collect the black seeds after the seedpods open. Once the seeds turn black, they are ready for collection. Until then, the seeds are not viable.
  3. Fill a small plastic bag with damp peat moss. Drop the bleeding heart flower plant seeds into the plastic bag. Store the bag in your refrigerator for approximately two months.
  4. Fill 4-inch pots with sterile potting soil. Remove the bleeding heart flower plant seeds from the refrigerator.
  5. Press two or three seeds down 1/4 inch into the soil of each pot. Pat the soil over top to remove air pockets. Mist the soil with water from a spray bottle.
  6. Place the pots in a warm area with a constant temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. The area should also receive bright, indirect sunlight.
  7. Keep the soil moist during the germination process, which should take 15 to 20 days. Transplant the bleeding heart plants outdoors once they have developed their first true (second set) leaves.

Division

  1. Perform the root and stem division process during the late fall or early spring, while the plant is still dormant. Dividing while the plant is blooming will interfere with its growth process.
  2. Dig up the parent bleeding heart flower plant. A mature bleeding heart plant contains many individual stems that tolerate division into single plants.
  3. Decide which stems you would like to remove from the parent plant. Choose the healthiest stems to form your new bleeding heart flower plants.
  4. Cut through the root using a sharp knife. Pull the stems away from the parent plant as you cut the roots with the knife. After the division, each individual stem that you have chosen should have part of the original root ball attached.
  5. Transplant the divided stems in the ground immediately and water well. If you will not be planting the stems in your landscape right away, plant them in 4-inch pots filled with sterile potting soil.

Tips & Warnings

  • If you do not have access to bright, indirect sunlight, place the pots under a grow light. Set the pots on a plant heating pad if maintaining a constant temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit is not possible.

  • Do not harvest the seeds before they turn black. The seeds need time to mature; cutting down the pods prematurely can render the seeds unviable, preventing germination.


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