Selection varieties of decorative forget-me-nots harmoniously look in any flower garden, on the lawn, balcony or window sill. Due to its unpretentiousness to cultivation and care, this early flowering herbaceous plant is loved by many gardeners. However, once in an unfavorable environment, it may die. Where and how to plant a perennial, what to protect from and what conditions to provide - this will be discussed later.

Flower description

Forget-me-nots represent the Burachnikov family. In nature, there are more than 50 species. Wild flowers, like garden ones, are found on all continents, including regions with harsh climates. Depending on weather conditions and seasonal features of a particular area, both annual and perennial grasses can develop.

Outwardly, these are highly branched bushes up to 35 cm high with pubescent stems, oval green-bluish leaves and dense inflorescences consisting of small five-petalled flowers. In the area, blue buds with a yellow core are more common. And breeding variations present a wide selection of varieties with cream, scarlet, white, purple, purple, blue petals.

Did you know? The people assign magical power to the flowers and roots of forget-me-nots. It is believed that worn on the neck of a beloved wreath of this grass will forever tie it to you.

The plant is characterized by high winter hardiness. The vast majority of its species prefers loose fertile soil in shady and semi-shady places. Some varieties of forget-me-nots, such as marshy Myosotis palustris, grow well only in moist soil, therefore, recommended for landing in the coastal zones of reservoirs. The alpine variety, by contrast, is intended for cultivation in well-lit rocky areas and is the best option for decorating rock gardens.

In gardens, more often such selective forget-me-nots are sown, such as:

Flowering culture begins in late spring and lasts for 3-4 weeks. It is characteristic that cold weather is able to slightly prolong the budding phase. In landscape design, forget-me-nots are universal. They are used to create floral arrangements that look spectacular in combination with green grass, tulips, lilies of the valley, daffodils, daisies, pansies. When arranging flower beds, it is important to take into account the timing of flowering of this grass and place it in the vicinity of lush bushes of hosts or ferns, which, to the extent of their growth, will cover bare places after a faded forget-me-not.

Did you know? Masons wear a forget-me-not badge in a buttonhole in memory of free masons who died in Nazi concentration camps.

Breeding methods

Breeding forget-me-nots is not difficult even for beginner gardeners.

You can grow a decorative grassy bush at home in various ways:

1. Seed. For its implementation, they plan to sow seed in early May, followed by a transplant to a flower bed in the last decade of August. Later periods are also allowed for the purpose of further rooting of seedlings in the open ground in spring in a year. First, it is necessary to test the germination of grains by dipping them in salted water. Promising are considered to be specimens that have settled on the bottom of the tank. For indoor cultivation, they are deepened into the soil of a regular flower pot by 1-2 cm. It is better to provide a separate container for each seed. But most gardeners, given the tendency of the plant to self-seeding, simplify the process of obtaining new offspring and simply in early spring transplant self-formed young bushes to the right place. If you need to obtain a large number of seedlings, you can sow the seeds in a greenhouse or immediately into the flower garden, without planting them. The fact is that with an abundance of sunlight, the germination of grains increases. The appearance of young shoots is expected in a week and a half.
2. Cuttings. This forget-me-not breeding option is more suitable for varietal specimens. To get a new bush, it is necessary at the peak of the growing season, in June, to acquire high-quality planting material. Apical cuttings up to 5 cm long are suitable for planting. They are first dipped in any growth stimulator (Emistim, Kornevin), and then they are sprouted under banks. The resulting seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place in early autumn. Such a perennial will bloom in the coming season, but its flowering will be sparse and fleeting.
3. Divided. Since forget-me-nots are prone to overgrowth, it will be useful to periodically thin out old bushes by dividing them. This method of reproduction is suitable for all types of plants and is more often practiced in the fall. After all, culture has a powerful root system and is well adapted to new conditions. In addition, young dividers can be grown without additional shelter in the cold season.1 - a bush intended for division is dug up immediately after flowering; 2 - the roots are thoroughly shaken off the ground; 3 - after washing the root system in a bucket of water; 4 - shorten high overhead shoots (to reduce moisture evaporation); 5 - part is broken out from the peripheral area of ​​the bush, having at least one kidney; 6 - can also be divided with a sharp knife.

How to grow a forget-me-not flower

Despite the high viable qualities of forget-me-nots, their breeding will succeed only with a competent choice of a seat and further proper care.

Important! In order to avoid strong thickening in the flowerbed, control the planting of forget-me-nots, not allowing them to grow greatly and displace other crops.

How to plant

It has been noticed that varietal species bloom longer and more abundantly when planted in a timely manner, therefore, before cultivating this crop, the gardener needs to familiarize himself with its features, flowering dates and take care of a favorable environment.

Terms and optimal conditions

The key to early spring flowering of perennials is seedlings grown in the fall. In this case, it is appropriate to plant seeds in October or November for a house or a summer residence, but sometimes the grass is cultivated as an annual. In particular, we are talking about greenhouse industrial production and the goals of obtaining a large number of flowering bushes. Some farms deliberately delay the sowing activities so that the plants bloom in winter. In such situations, you can vary the landing time.

Did you know? Ancient blacksmiths tempered damask blades in the juice of forget-me-nots. After the incandescent weapon was dipped into the liquid obtained from the grass, it became very solid and could even cut metal.

Many experts advise traditionally sowing flowers in open ground from the end of April until May. Then the phase of their budding will come in mid-summer.

Regardless of the scale of cultivation, for comfortable growth, garden forget-me-nots need special conditions:

• light shadow or partial shade (applies to all species, with the exception of alpine);
• high humidity;
• good drainage and friability of soil;
• moderately nutritious loamy substrate (with an excess of nitrogen-containing components, the bushes will begin to intensively increase biomass and cease to bloom);
• temperature conditions within +10 ... + 20 ° C (the plant painlessly tolerates short-term spring frosts up to -5 ° C);
• the distance to the nearest plants is at least 20 cm.

Location and soil selection

You can extend the flowering of forget-me-nots by placing them in the shaded area of ​​a flower bed, near tall trees or structures. Otherwise, in the sunshine, the petals will very soon lose their brightness and fade.

Did you know? The stylized image of the violet forget-me-not is a symbol of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

Since the perennial is water-loving, then an area with a close occurrence of groundwater to the earth's surface is ideal for it. This is especially true for all varieties of swamp and forest species. However, keep in mind that excessive swampiness will lead to a strong extension of the stems and the development of pathogens of fungal diseases, so you should avoid the lowlands where melt and rainwater collect. Also, the flower will not comfortably develop in drafts.

The soil in the flower garden should be neutral in acidity. It is better to choose loamy-chernozem compositions. Categorically for the cultivation of this grass are not suitable sandstones, as well as depleted soils. Once in this environment, the bush will hurt and wither.

Important! In autumn, to avoid freezing, it is necessary to mulch young forget-me-nots with a peat layer no more than 5 cm thick.

Thorough care

You need to start caring for the forget-me-nots grown from seeds, 2 weeks after sowing. Then under the polyethylene shoots appear that must be opened and thinned, leaving a distance of 10 cm between adjacent sprouts.

Time for transplanting the grown bushes to a permanent place begins in late August. If you want to get a dense flowering carpet, keep a distance of 15 cm between seedlings and plant 2-3 plants in each hole. Further growth of the crop will fully depend on the moisture regime in the front garden and the frequency of top dressing.

Watering Rules

The frequency of moisturizing procedures for non-forget-me-not bushes largely depends on weather conditions and climatic features of a particular region. For example, in the rainy season, when air humidity rises, there is no need to water the bushes. Otherwise, excessive dampness on the flower bed will become an invariable conductor of fungal infection.

Flowers growing in the shade and partial shade require moderate watering. It is important to ensure that the soil under them periodically dries up at least to a depth of 2-3 cm. Frequent watering is relevant only for the alpine type of forget-me-nots, which, due to its botanical features, can fully develop only in the sun. A large amount of moisture is required for herbaceous perennials in order to maintain the freshness and color of the green mass.

Important! Forget-me-nots are not used as living borders, because they have low stems and small flower tassels. It is better to use culture to design individual flower beds and group plantings.

Fertilizer

An excess of nutrients will adversely affect the general condition of the flower, provoking its fattening, so garden forget-me-nots, regardless of growing in open ground or in a pot, are recommended to be fed three times throughout life.

The first fertilizer is important for young bushes before flowering. It is better to plan this procedure 14 days after planting the bushes in a permanent place. During this period, their stems require a lot of minerals, so it will be appropriate to water with a solution of universal complex fertilizers.

Important! Forget-me-not flower garden does not need to be weeded. The thick, fibrous roots of the culture do not allow unnecessary vegetation to break through.

The second top dressing of organic and mineral components is carried out in late autumn. And the third one matters in a year in the early spring. Then it is recommended to cover the soil with a layer of peat-compost mixture up to 5 cm thick. In addition, for abundant flowering, the ground under the bushes will need to be loosened regularly, thereby improving aeration of the roots.

Diseases, pests and how to deal with them

Properly chosen seat and competent care of the plant are the guarantors of its successful development. The slightest errors in the regulation of soil composition and moisture regime are fraught with the development of a pathogenic environment, which leads to the appearance of harmful insects. All kinds of forget-me-nots show high resistance to diseases and pests.

However, under adverse conditions, they may suffer from:

• powdery mildew;
• different types of rot;
• aphids (settles on the underside of foliage);
• scoop;
• flea;
• slugs.

In order to resist the onset of infection and parasites, it is enough to observe soil hygiene, preventing its waterlogging and drying out, as well as preventing the formation of a surface crust and cracks. It is important to take measures when detecting the first signs of diseases or insect attacks. For this purpose, it is recommended to remove all damaged parts of the bushes and spray them with chemical solutions.

In the fight against fungal and bacterial diseases, the fungicides “Khom” (40 g per 10 liters of water) and “Skor” (2 ml per 10 liters of water) help. You can get rid of pests with the help of insecticides "Aktara", "Aktellik", the proportions of which depend on the intensity of the vital activity of parasites. It is easy to grow forget-me-nots. You can prepare their seedlings yourself at home. The main thing is to observe basic agricultural rules when planting and caring for the crop.