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Like many flowering perennials, the Bleeding Heart develops fruit and seeds after the flowering period. If the site conditions are good, the plant sows itself without any problems, so you don't have to do any more work with it. You can also harvest the ripe seeds and sow them in a targeted manner.
After flowering, Bleeding Heart seeds can be collected
Stratify the seeds
The Bleeding Heart also belongs to the cold germs, i.e. the seeds must first lose their germination inhibition through a cold period before they can be sown. This process is also known as stratification, for which there are two possibilities.
outdoor stratification
With this method, you fill small seed pots with seed soil and sow the seeds into them. The pots are placed outside in a sheltered spot over the winter so that they find natural conditions. However, it is important that the substrate with the seeds is always kept moist.
stratification in the refrigerator
Another option is to stratify the seeds in the fridge. To do this, pack the seeds with moist sand in a well-closable container and put everything together in the vegetable drawer for about six weeks. Please do not place in the freezer, otherwise the seeds will lose their ability to germinate. After stratification, you can sow the seeds and initially cultivate them at around 12 to 15 °C. Increase the temperature - as in nature - only slowly and do not let it rise above approx. 20 °C.
Sow a bleeding heart
If you want to sow the seeds yourself, you should start stratifying them in January. Then the seeds are ready to be sown on schedule in March. Sowing in seed trays that are placed in a bright spot in the house or greenhouse at around 15 °C is ideal. The substrate should be kept evenly moist.
store seeds
You can either sow the ripe Bleeding Heart seeds you have collected yourself on the spot or store them in a cool and dry place - preferably in an airtight container. But be careful: the seeds can lose their ability to germinate if stored improperly or too warmly or too coldly.
tips
If you are unsure about germination, you can first carry out a germination test with a few seeds. To do this, sow the seeds on a damp kitchen towel and wait to see how many grow - at least half of the seeds should germinate.