Bleeding Heart- looks "leggy" and blooms are pale

[aaradyn]

Ok, so I got a bleeding heart at the Boston Flower Show bare root and potted it. It's in a southeast facing window in my den in a well draining pot. The room is usually around 70deg F. It's grown like crazy!!

So here's my question- I have never grown one of these before. The stems are pale green and the blooms (which the guy at the show said would bloom red) are pale pink. My question is this- is it getting enough light? Is it still too shaded? Is this what they usually look like when they're young plants?

Thanks!!!

(Two pics of the flower color, one for height. It's a 10" pot and the plant is currently about 17" tall)

[LA47]

Bleeding hearts are concidered an outdoor perennial. I have had some that were over 2 feet across and 18 to 24 inches high and the roots get huge. They are shade plants so your is probably getting enough sun. They also will go dormant sometime during summer (foliage will die back) and it will need a cold period during winter. You will soon need a bigger pot also. Is there any way you can plant it in the ground?

[rainbowgardener]

It looks pretty ok to me. The flowers do bloom on tall arching flower stems, so that isn't leggy. Your vendor must just have gotten his plants mixed up re which were what colors. I don't think anything you are doing would make a red bleeding heart bloom pink. True red would be quite rare. Usually they are white, pink, or "rosy-red" which is basically a deeper pink.

But I agree with LA that your bleeding heart will either need to be in the ground or in cold storage for the winter. And it doesn't really work to dig the plant and put it in the freezer, the whole pot and soil and dormant plant needs to be at freezing temperature for at least six weeks.

[aaradyn]

I will be planting this outside as soon as the ground isn't frozen and my boyfriend and I decide on a spot, mostly likely this weekend. Will that jar it too much?

Thank you for your help!
Aaradyn

[rainbowgardener]

Sounds good! They like moist soil with protection from afternoon sun.

[aaradyn]

Ok, now I really need help...

She was fine indoors, strong leaves and she bloomed profusely. Then she dropped her blooms, still looked good. Then I put her outside because it was warm and pleasant and wasn't getting cold at night. (Still potted) then I had our landscaper plant heron her new home and now she looks like this.

What happened???? Did get get too cold? The roots aren't sitting in water, she's on a slope and not at the bottom, she's shaded for part of the day... I'm at a loss.

[rainbowgardener]

Maybe just transplant shock. It isn't rooted in to its new new location yet. Keep it moist but not wet and give it a little more time, see how it does. The only concern I would have is re "shaded part of the day." They really are a shade plant. It won't like any direct afternoon sun and not too much direct morning sun. Mine don't get any direct sun and do fine that way.

[aaradyn]

She's shaded more now that the trees have filled in. She also just seemed to be better in general- it was dry when she was planted but tis been raining pretty steadily every other day for the last two weeks and I think that helped a lot.

Someone said that she might look sad now because she finished blooming for the season and they die back a little and not to worry about it.