Cut a bleeding heart? Cutting back is not necessary

Cut a bleeding heart? Cutting back is not necessary

When to cut the bleeding heart

Regular pruning is not necessary for the bleeding heart. However, you can extend the flowering time of the perennial by removing dead stems regularly. This prevents the plant from investing its energy in the formation of fruits and seeds - instead it simply forms new flowers. The yellow, withered leaves after the flowering period - and after the plant has already withdrawn - can be removed.

also read

  • Propagate bleeding heart by division
  • Successfully multiply a bleeding heart: make many out of one perennial!
  • Bleeding heart - when is the best time to plant?

Cut cuttings

In addition to these caring pruning measures, you can also use the knife if you want to multiply the bleeding heart and therefore want to cut cuttings or root cuttings.

Cut cuttings

The best time to cut cuttings is also shortly after flowering.

  • Cut off shoots about six inches long.
  • These should still be green.
  • Remove the lower leaves.
  • Put the seedlings in a glass with fresh water.
  • Place the glass in a bright and protected place.
  • Change the water daily.
  • The cuttings will root within 15 to 20 days.
  • Then you can either plant them directly outside or
  • in a pot with a sand-peat mixture.

Make sure to adequately overwinter the young plants, ie to protect them with a layer of mulch (99.99 € on Amazon *) leaves or brushwood or to overwinter them under cold house conditions when frost threatens.

Cut root cuttings

In winter or late autumn - preferably in October / November - you can also multiply the bleeding heart by taking root cuttings. Choose a frost-free day for this measure.

  • Carefully expose the plant's thick roots.
  • Cut off about three to five centimeters long, quite thick pieces.
  • Clean them of any sticking earth.
  • Fill a planter with a damp mixture of sand and humus soil.
  • Plant the root cuttings there horizontally.
  • Keep them moist and overwinter at around 12 ° C.
  • In the spring, the rooted cuttings can finally be planted outdoors.

Tips

Of course, you can also plant the freshly cut root cuttings outdoors, but then rooting and growth will be significantly slower.