The small flowers add fairytale charm to any garden. We show you what to look out for when planting forget-me-nots.
Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis) is a popular early bloomer in our gardens. The plant with the small blue flowers and the famous name is one of the first flowers to bring color back into the bed after winter. Forget-me-not is also considered a very easy-care and simple garden plant. So that the special flower can also find its way into your garden, we will tell you everything about the ideal location, the right planting time and the procedure for planting forget-me-nots.
What flower lovers appreciate about the forget-me-not are its delicate blue flowers. In the spring bed they are a real eye-catcher in every garden. In order for perfect flowering to occur, however, the time of planting is crucial. If the plant is sown too late or planted in the garden, it may not flower next year. So that you don't have to do without the magical flowers of the forget-me-not, we'll tell you everything for the perfect forget-me-not flower.
When should forget-me-nots be planted?
If you prefer your forget-me-nots, you can sow them on the windowsill or in the heated greenhouse in autumn. This allows the forget-me-not to develop in a warm place over the winter and then bloom the next year.
In the spring, from mid-May, the forget-me-nots brought forward in the autumn can be placed in the garden. Or you prefer forget-me-not plants in spring, from April, and place them in the bed in late summer or autumn. However, the plants will not flower until the following year. You can plant purchased plants in containers as early as the end of May after the ice saints. Direct sowing outdoors can begin from mid-June and is still possible until mid-July.
Overview of when to plant forget-me-nots:
- Forget-me-nots can be brought forward from autumn and from mid-Mayto be planted; so it blooms the following year
- If the plant is not brought forward until spring, plant it in the bed in late summer or autumn; However, flowers will not appear until the following year
- Container goods will be planted out after the ice saints at the end of May
- Direct sowing outdoors takes place between mid-June and mid-July
Planting forget-me-nots: the right location
The right location for forget-me-nots depends very much on the type and variety. Most often, the forget-me-nots that are planted or sown as ornamental plants for gardens are of the species forest (Myosotis sylvatica) or marsh forget-me-nots (Myosotis scorpioides). ). The forest forget-me-not is at home in shady forests and therefore prefers a shady or partially shaded location in the garden. He doesn't like blazing sun at all. The swamp forget-me-not can be in a partially shaded or sunny location. Only “wet feet” are important to him. It feels particularly at home in damp locations, for example at the edge of a pond or in damp places.
The soil conditions for all forget-me-not species should be permeable, rich in nutrients and slightly acidic. The optimal pH is between 6.5 and 7.
Summary of the right location for forget-me-nots:
- Forget-me-nots: Shady to partially shaded
- Swamp Forget-Me-Not: Half shade to sun, swampy and humid
- Porous, nutrient-rich soil Soil pH: 6.5 - 7
Tip: Forget-me-not is particularly beautiful when combined with other spring flowering bulbs in the bed. Tulips (Tulipa gesneriana) and primroses (Primula) are particularly suitable for this.
Planting Forget-Me-Nots: Instructions
You have several options when planting forget-me-nots. Either you prefer the plants, sow them directly in the bed, or place bought seedlings in the bed. It is also possible to plant forget-me-nots in pots. In the following we will present all the options in more detail.
Prefer forget-me-not
If you want to grow your forget-me-not, proceed as follows: Prepare suitable seed trays with seed soil and place the seeds on the soil. These are then only lightly pressed. Forget-me-nots germinate with light, which is whythe seeds must not be covered with soil. Forget-me-nots germinate best in a place that is not too bright and rather shady. At temperatures of 18 °C, the seeds then begin to germinate. Germination takes about 14 days.
Prefer forget-me-not at a glance:
- Fill seed trays with seed compost
- Press the seeds lightly, do not cover them with soil
- Germinate in a shady place
- Optimum germination temperature: 18 °C
- Germination period: approx. 14 days
Sow forget-me-nots in the bed
If you don't want to prefer your forget-me-nots, you can also sow them directly in the bed. For this purpose, the soil is well loosened and freed from weeds. You can also enrich the soil with compost or slow-release organic fertilizer. This improves the soil structure and provides your plant with sufficient nutrients after sowing. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer with organic long-term effect is ideal for this.
Then create furrows with a distance of 20 centimeters for sowing, but they do not have to be deeper than one centimetre. The seeds are distributed in the furrows and only very lightly covered with soil and moistened. As soon as the seedlings are sufficiently large in mid-August, they are separated at a distance of 20 centimeters. This gives the forget-me-nots enough space to develop properly and grow well.
Sowing forget-me-nots at a glance:
- Loosen the soil and remove weeds
- Enrich soil with compost or organic slow-release fertilizer
- Create seed furrows 1 cm deep
- Row spacing: 20 cm
- Cover seeds very lightly with soil
- Wet
- Separate the plants in August
- Planting distance: 20 cm
Plant forget-me-not plants
Another option is to plant forget-me-nots bought in bulk. Free the plant from its flower pot and place it in a bucket of water. This allows the root ball to soak up water. Then loosen the soil well and enrich it with compost or organic long-term fertilizer - such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer with organic long-term effect. Then dig planting holes 20 centimeters apart. The forget-me-not plants are placed in these - but not deeper than they were in the container - and watered well.
Summary planting forget-me-nots:
- Put forget-me-not plants in a bucket of water
- Loosen the soil well and remove weeds
- Enrich soil with compost or slow-release organic fertilizer
- Dig planting hole
- Don't put forget-me-nots deeper in the hole than they were in the container
- Water well
Planting forget-me-nots in pots
Forget-me-nots can also be planted in pots. However, it should be noted that they do not like direct sunlight on the balcony or terrace either. A location in partial shade is therefore better. Most forget-me-nots are planted in balcony boxes. Planting in pots and tubs is also possible. It is only important that all planters have a drainage hole so that there is no waterlogging. Normal potting soil or rhododendron soil are very suitable for planting. Here, too, you can enrich the substrate with organic long-term fertilizer - such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer with organic long-term effect - before planting out. Planting forget-me-nots in pots should be 15 centimeters apart.
Planting forget-me-nots in pots summarized:
- No direct sunlight
- Choose a sufficiently large planter with drainage hole
- Use potting soil or rhododendron soil
- Enrich substrate with organic long-term fertilizer
- Planting distance in the pot: 15 cm
Tip: The forget-me-not is not a houseplant: the air inside is too warm and the humidity too high or too low. The forget-me-not only grows really beautiful flowers outdoors.
Caring for forget-me-nots after planting
The most important thing when caring for forget-me-nots is adequate watering. Therefore, water your forget-me-not regularly - but not too much. Allow the top layer of soil to dry before watering again.
You can fertilize forget-me-nots with compost, horn meal or an organic long-term fertilizer for a magnificent bloom in spring. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer with organic long-term effect is ideal for this.
In general, forget-me-nots are hardy and survive our winter without any problems. However, young plants that were only planted out in autumn can still be very sensitive to frost and should be protected with fleece in the first winter.Unlike their siblings in the garden, forget-me-nots in pots are not hardy. You should therefore ensure frost protection by covering the forget-me-nots with fleece or foil and placing them in a sheltered place.
Planting forget-me-nots: The heyday
The flowering time of forget-me-nots depends heavily on the species and variety. The two most common forget-me-not species, the swamp forget-me-not and the forest forget-me-not, bloom in May and June, respectively. Depending on the variety, the forest forget-me-not can bloom blue, pink or white. The swamp forget-me-not flowers in the well-known blue. While the Alpine forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris) flowers in June and July, the field forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis) flowers from April to October. The impressive Caucasus forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla) blooms in bright blue from April to May. The lawn forget-me-not (Myosotis laxa) also begins to flower from April, but continues to flower until June.
Flowering of various forget-me-not species:
- Forget-me-nots: May
- Swamp Forget-Me-Nots: June
- Alpine forget-me-nots: June to July
- Field forget-me-nots: April to October
- Caucasian forget-me-nots: April to May
- Lawn forget-me-nots: April to June
Tip: If your forget-me-not flowers pink at first, this does not mean that something went wrong with the cultivation. Only after a few days do the young flowers of the forget-me-not turn their usual blue color.
In addition to forget-me-nots, there are many other beautiful spring flowers. In our special article you will learn everything about the 5 most beautiful spring flowers.