Bleeding heart: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How to sow bleeding heart outdoors?
Use fresh bleeding heart seeds where possible and check the sowing instructions for the seed you have. Germination is slow and needs a period of moist cold, known as cold stratification. Simply waiting until the last spring frost has passed does not replace that step. Sowing fresh seed outdoors can allow natural seasonal cold to help, provided the seed remains moist.
Sow in a labelled pot or tray with drainage holes, using a suitable seed compost. Follow the supplier's instructions for covering the seeds and preparing them beforehand. Water gently and place the container outdoors in a sheltered spot with light shade. Avoid strong sunshine that dries the compost rapidly and heavy rain that washes seeds away.
Keep the compost moist without leaving the container standing in water. Protect it from slugs and disturbance, and keep checking patiently: a pot without visible shoots is not necessarily a failed sowing. Do not discard it just because nothing appears within a few weeks.
When seedlings are strong enough to handle, move them gently into individual pots and let them establish before planting out. Their fleshy roots are delicate. Expect several years before the first flowers, often around two to three, rather than a full summer display in the year of sowing.
How to plant bleeding heart?
When does bleeding heart flower?
