Bleeding heart question


  #1  
Old 06-28-07, 06:16 PM
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Bleeding heart question

Hi,
I''m having trouble it seems with a lot of my plants just not wanting to blossom their flowers this year (and they're in different parts of the property and different plants) They're all on a dormant strike. PEONIE won't bloom either and this year it's healthy without red spots like last year (I had a thread about it- told it was a fungus) Why nothing still - it's growing but didn't sprout flowers. It's very sad.
Anyways, my bleeding heart was planted last Fall but took well. It tripled in size and I had several flowers for maybe ?a week and then they withered and fell off. Aren't they supposed to flower for a while? Maybe not. I don't know.
I've recently noticed- yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant and this happened around when I put mulch at the bottom- prior to that it was just in the dirt (but the flowers fell off before I mulched).
Can mulch hurt bushes/plants?? Can it prevent water from getting into the soil- I thought it was to help keep moisture IN? I'm confused- plus it may have nothing to do with the Bleeding heart plant.
Oh, & it's in a mostly sunny location since I had some tree branches cut.
Thanks,
deb
 

Last edited by spikedog4; 06-28-07 at 06:23 PM. Reason: add something...
  #2  
Old 06-29-07, 06:13 AM
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Mulch is good, but don't pile it next to the trunk of the plant.

Weather may have affected your plants as it has ours. The mild winter with the late killing frost has delayed many plants' progress here.
 
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Old 06-30-07, 09:34 AM
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Frustrated in Boston

I would tend to agree if I didn't look around and see everybody else's bleeding hearts and hydrangeas thriving. Even my other bush in the City (Boston) is doing ok... multiple flowerheads- but I did lose 2 holly bushes there and can't explain that as we DID have a mild Winter- so that may have been the odd warm up mid January...?I don't know.
But ALL 3 Hydrangeas in different parts of the yard not blooming makes me just wonder what could be the problem? I actually didn't put mulch up against the stem either. I'm really upset. Should I attempt to add whatever you add to acidify the soil (even if it's already acidic- not sure cuz I never had it tested) but 2/3 of them bloomed last yr! UGGH>>> is it really too late to expect them to flower?
 
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Old 06-30-07, 10:42 AM
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Late frost can take a toll on flowering plants. Too much nitrogen can result in lots of leaf growth at the expense of buds. A soil test will tell you what, if any, amendments need to be made to the soil. Bloom time is late spring to early summer. Bleeding hearts like shade and moist soil. If too hot and dry, plants will go dormant.
 
  #5  
Old 07-02-07, 08:59 PM
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update on the bleeding heart

Well, maybe it was weather related since so many of my plants are affected???
OR- the soil. I will get it tested as you guys recommend.
I did pile the mulch too close to the stem and when I removed it- it's quite moist in spite of my not watering in several days... plus the yellow leaves are progressing!!
I have heard both that bleeding hearts like SUN and then I've also read they like SHADE? Which is it??? If it's shade- I need to move it.
The Rose of Sharon bush I planted in the sun isn't growing much (it was small to start with) but the last one I put there (small to start with as well) DIED. It just stayed all twigs like it was in the Winter. I tried but it didn't make it.
Now, I'm worried this one may have a similar fate- other than it has a longer season to get well rooted. Last one was put in close to Fall in Boston.
I better get a soil test cuz this is getting expensive and my neighbors are looking at me like I'm a plant murderer!
 
 

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