A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 bleeding hearts

My bleeding hearts have started to yellow and I was just wondering if anyone just cuts them back or do you let them always die back? I have them in a shade garden with some hostas, ferns and impatience and it would be nice to remove them to let the others shine but I don't want to stunt or harm the bleeding hearts for next year. Thanks! [/LIST]


----
I removed your email address from this post.
~afgreyparrot

you can cut them back. next year fertilize w/ iron & nitrogen before that happens to prolong the nice foliage.

Cool! Thanks for the quick reply.

I usually just let mine die back and then I'll cut the dead foliage off at the soil. Mine just started the annual die back process as well.

Thanks John, I have always let mine die back on their own as well. I think I'll experiment this year and trying cutting one back and see how it does compared to the ones that die back naturally - I really love living on the edge

Yep, I'm jumping on the let mine die back naturally and then picking the stuff up either
in the fall or spring.. *depends on how fast I am or behind schedule*

Mine also die back if it's a really hot dry summer...
If it's cooler and well watered.. it'll stay
right up 'til fall time...

*this one's been a long, hot dry summer already!*

Yes - a long hot summer already and it is only July! Tired of watering but can't stop now...

Can't believe it was over 100 today in SO Dakota!

Try to stay cool.

real hot here in st louis too!
im watering twice a day and some of my stuff is still sagging. my bleeding hearts are starting to yellow also. gonna leave em till the bitter end as they are first year plants and i wanna give em a real good start for next year. hopefully ill get more blooms then this year.
they were kinda puny in my opnion this year.

Remember for some plants, when they sag, it can
be because they do have enough water..
and or they are just sagging so that they are not standing up and erect in the sun and gathering all that heat...
(some don't need it and get stressed by so much)
so this is their way of getting into the shade without picking up their roots and moving to a new location ...

I always just let mine die down with the heat....... It was huge this year and will need divided.

it is the glad blooms that im noticing sagging
just laying over and looking messed up.