Forget-me-nots are classified as annual or perennial herbaceous flowers from the Burachnikov family. Many people know about these modest and attractive blue flowers with a yellow center (sometimes there are specimens with pink and white petals). The plant has a low stem and large, oblong leaves of different shades. The size of the forget-me-not does not exceed 30 cm. Its fruit is a black nut, consisting of four parts. Small flowers delight and cheer up. They can complement flower arrangements in your garden.
Forget-me-nots are widely used in traditional medicine. They help with lung diseases. With their beauty, they have won the hearts of many flower growers. The plant is especially popular in landscape design. As a garden plant, forget-me-nots are grown in many countries of the world.
Flowers do not require special care, during flowering they look very impressive, so the plant can be found in developed European countries. They decorate the gardens of Sweden, Germany, France.
Popular types of forget-me-nots
In the wild, there are about 50 species of forget-me-nots. Flowers are common in South Africa, America, New Zealand and Australia. Many types of forget-me-nots are found in Russia. The most popular are the field and marsh forget-me-nots.
Modest flowers are considered unpretentious plants. Forget-me-nots prefer moist places, grow better in fresh soils. Many species feel comfortable in the shade. Only forget-me-not alpine and field love bright light. Forget-me-nots bred by crossing, as well as domesticated species, retain similar properties.
Forget-me-not marsh
In its natural environment, it grows in the Transcaucasia, the Balkans, Siberia, Mongolia and Central Europe. Blooms throughout the summer. Preferring moist soil, it is found on the shores of water bodies and swamps. Its characteristic features are branched stems, large leaves and flowers with pink or blue petals.
Alpine forget-me-not
Distributed in the Caucasus, Carpathians, Alps. Prefers a lot of light. It has a meek rhizome and a low stem 5-15 cm high. Its distinctive feature is gray-green leaves and dark blue petals. With its flowering, it will delight for about seven weeks.
Forget-me-not field
It is a medicinal plant. She has short shoots and small blue flowers. Her homeland is North Africa, Siberia, Asian countries, the Canary Islands.
Forget-me-not forest
It is a perennial plant. It can be found in the Carpathians and European countries. Its height is about 30 cm. It has pale green oval, elongated leaves and light blue flowers.
Currently, breeders have managed to bring out new hybrid types of flowers with multi-colored petals.There are flowers that have blue, blue, purple, cream, white and pink petals. Alpine forget-me-not is a rare guest in our gardens. Its domesticated counterpart is more common.
Forget-me-not planting rules
Despite the fact that forget-me-not refers to light-loving flowers, it will be best for her in a shaded area. The plant does not require special conditions for keeping. Even a novice florist can grow it. The main thing is that the flowers are in conditions of moderate humidity.
These amazing flowers start blooming in May. The flowering period is about two months. To please forget-me-nots with long flowering, they are combined with tall ornamental plants that create shade. A sprawling fern is perfect for this purpose.
In a sunny area, the duration of the blooming of forget-me-nots is reduced. Instead of the prescribed two months, they will bloom for only three weeks. The exception is two types of forget-me-nots - field and alpine. They develop better in the sun. Before you start planting flowers, you should study their features. Then it will be easier to take care of them.
As a rule, forget-me-nots are most often grown outdoors using seeds. To do this, the site is loosened in advance, peat and humus are introduced there and the earth is leveled. After that, small furrows are made in the soil and the seeds are placed there. In this case, the distance between the holes should be at least 10 centimeters. The first shoots appear in two weeks. When the first leaves are formed, young forget-me-nots are thinned out. Also, they can be seated, adhering to an interval of 5 centimeters. At the end of summer, flowers should be transplanted to a new location.
In order for forget-me-nots to bloom earlier, it is necessary to grow seedlings in the fall. The most favorable time for this will be October or November. The seeds are planted in boxes with light soil. They should not be deepened too deep. When grown in moderately humid conditions in well-draining soil, they will germinate even in a shaded pestle. Before emergence, seedlings are watered through a sheet of paper.
When the first leaves appear on a young plant, the seedlings dive and are placed in a cold greenhouse until March. In early spring, the seedlings should be kept in a warm room. It is transplanted into open ground at the end of April. Forget-me-nots grown by seedlings begin to bloom in May.
Growing and caring for forget-me-nots
In most cases, forget-me-nots are grown as biennial plants. In the third year, they lose their attractiveness. Their stems are too elongated, and the flowers are shallow.
Location and lighting
Flowers will grow well both in the shade and in the sun. But in a shaded place, they will bloom longer, acquiring a more saturated shade.
The soil
For forget-me-nots, moderately moist meadow soil is suitable. Too nutritious soil is not suitable for them, since the plant will grow vigorously and bloom poorly. Poor sandy soils are also not suitable for the plant. If you plant a forget-me-not in an excessively wet area, it will hurt and stretch out a lot in length. Therefore, the ideal conditions for growing these beautiful flowers are in moderately humid areas of land with a small amount of fertilization.
Watering rules
If the forget-me-not grows in the shade, watering the plant should be moderate. In late spring, it is not necessary to water the flowers, since the soil contains the required amount of moisture. When forget-me-nots grow in sunny areas, watering is increased so that its leaves always remain fresh and elastic.
Fertilizers and feeding
It is not worth feeding the plant too often. Fertilizers are applied to the soil three times. Young forget-me-nots must be fed two weeks after planting, before flowering. For this, liquid mineral fertilizers are used. Organic and mineral fertilizers must also be applied in the fall. And in the spring, a small amount of peat and humus is introduced into the soil.Since forget-me-nots are more fond of fresh soil, it is regularly loosened so that all the necessary nutrients come to the plant. Flowers do not need additional shelter for the winter.
Forget-me-not flowers practically do not require weeding, as they have a powerful fibrous system that does not allow weeds to break through.
Forget-me-not breeding methods
Seeds
There are several ways to breed forget-me-nots. The easiest way to get new offspring of flowers is with seeds. Their suitability can be tested by immersing them in salted water. Seeds that float are not suitable for planting. As a rule, forget-me-nots propagate by self-sowing, so there is no need to sow seeds annually. It is enough to transplant the bushes to the right place in the spring.
By cuttings
It is advisable to propagate varietal forget-me-nots by cuttings. To do this, in June, cut off the green apical cuttings, which have reached 4-5 cm in length. They are planted together with sprouted seedlings. Forget-me-nots grown in this way will bloom this season, but flowering will be weak and short-lived.
By dividing the bushes
Also forget-me-nots reproduce by dividing the bushes. They can be transplanted at any time of the year. Thanks to the strong root system, they will take in well. Ripening, forget-me-nots secrete a large number of seeds. When crumbled, they self-reproduce. Young shoots appear near the faded bush. They can be used for transplantation. Avoid thickening plantings of forget-me-nots, which can overgrow and displace other plants.
Diseases and pests
With proper care, the plant is not afraid of diseases and pests. For forget-me-nots to feel good, they must be watered regularly, avoiding over-drying of the soil and excessive watering. It is also necessary to constantly design the planting of flowers.
If the rules for caring for forget-me-nots are not followed, they are prone to powdery mildew, gray and root rot... You can get rid of them by spraying the plant with Skor or Hom preparations. In case of insect infestation, insecticides are used.
How to use forget-me-nots in landscape design
Most often, with the help of these flowers, flower beds, flower beds, balconies are decorated. When choosing a place for forget-me-nots, you should take into account the type of plant. Swamp forget-me-nots are best planted near an artificial reservoir. They will decorate a watercourse or pond.
Forget-me-nots are not used as living borders, since they have a low stem and small inflorescences. It is better to arrange separate flower beds with them, planting flowers in groups. Forget-me-nots in pots and rockeries look good.
Forget-me-not is not afraid of cold weather, so it will be good to land next to tulips and daffodils. Flowers look great in the company of ferns and lilies of the valley... When drawing up bouquets, it is worth adding to forget-me-nots daisies, pansies.
The closest relative of forget-me-not can be considered a lungwort. The flowers belong to the same family, but outwardly they are not at all similar, only they have the same color scheme. The lungwort has large flowers with deep corollas.
Many myths and legends are associated with forget-me-nots. One of them says that flowers appear in place of tears that brides shed when parting with their beloved boyfriends. They are given when parting.
According to another legend, the goddess Flora, when she was giving names to the plants, forgot about the small, modest blue flower. He was not taken aback and asked the goddess not to forget about him. Flora saw him and called him forget-me-not, endowing him with the ability to return memories to people.
