How to Transplant a Bleeding Heart Plant

Bleeding hearts or Dicentra spectabilis are native to Japan. They have beautiful heart shaped blooms in the spring and most of the summer. Once they become established, they are relatively maintenance-free. However, if you do need to transplant your bleeding heart, the following article will explain how to do this task.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Shovel
• Spade
• Water

1. Try to transplant your bleeding hearts in the spring.
2. If you are transplanting a large bleeding heart and you need to divide it, be sure that each section has a part of the root system and a healthy, green sprout.
3. Be careful with the roots as they are very brittle. Dig up as much dirt with the roots as you can.
4. When transplanting multiple bleeding hearts, space them at least 2 feet apart.
5. Dig a hole for the transplanted bleeding heart that is much larger than the root system.
6. Cover the roots with soil and water thoroughly.
7. Try to only transplant mature plants. This will increase your chances of the bleeding heart blooming the year after it has been transplanted.

Tips & Warnings

• Mulch your bleeding heart in the early summer and in the late fall.

• Cut the plant to the ground once the leaves turn brown.

• Bleeding hearts can tolerate early morning or late afternoon sun.

• Consider covering transplanted plants their first winter.

• Divide bleeding hearts every five years in order to avoid overcrowding.

• When choosing a place to transplant your bleeding heart, avoid sunny, dry areas.

• Bleeding hearts occasionally suffer from stem rot. This can be prevented by transplanting the plants into clean soil.

• Be very careful with the roots when transplanting, they are extremely delicate and brittle.