How to Grow Dicentra Tears

Plant the Dicentra tears in an area that receives morning sun and partial or dappled shade in the afternoon. Although the vine tolerates shade, it doesn’t bloom well unless it receives several hours of sun each day.

Add 3 inches of compost to the soil before planting. Dig the hole the same depth as the nursery pot that holds the vine and twice as wide. If you are planting it next to a tree or other type of support on which you want it to climb, place it 6 inches away from the support.

Keep the soil moist, not wet, at all times during the Dicentra tears’ growing season.

Cut the Dicentra vine to the soil before the first frost if you live in one of the cooler regions within the vine’s hardiness zones. Pile 3 to 4 inches of mulch over the crown to protect it during the winter.

Pull back the mulch in spring and dispose of it. Add a fresh 3-inch layer of compost and use a rake to spread it around the plant. This is the only fertilizer the vine requires.