Never forget how to raise
The editor will introduce you to the experience of how to raise and care for the forget-me-not plant, as well as the skills and cultivation management techniques in green plant care. Let's get started.
Forget-me-not, also known as starflower, belongs to the补血草 genus and has over 180 varieties, with about eighteen to nineteen species in China. It is also called "triangle grass" because the winged leaves on the stems and the bracts under the calyx are triangular. Its flowers are bright and long-lasting, making it especially suitable for dried arrangements, flower baskets, and bouquets. It was prominently displayed at the last Barcelona Olympics.
The original habitat of forget-me-not is the Mediterranean coast. The Chengdu Xinfang Horticulture Company introduced the Algerian species L.borduellii, which has orange-yellow flowers, over 1 meter tall with a loose and delicate plant shape, bright flower colors, early blooming period, and the longest flower color retention time.
The L.sinuatum variety has purple flowers, nearly 1 meter tall with a compact plant shape, and sturdy stems. There are also other varieties with flower colors such as blue, white, and orange-red. Forget-me-not is highly adaptable, drought-resistant, and extremely cold-resistant. It is not easily frozen at temperatures of -1°C to -2°C, and even when the leaves encounter frost, they can continue to grow. High temperatures above 30°C in summer can inhibit growth and flowering.
Forget-me-not is a perennial herb. The leaves are clustered at the base of the stem, lyrate and deeply lobed, 18-30 cm long and 5-8 cm wide, with sparse hair on both sides of the leaves. The inflorescence is corymbose, the calyx is tubular with a dry membrane calyx, and the petals are membranous and fused into a trumpet shape.
Cultivation and Management:
1. Ditching and ridging
Ridge width is 90 cm, ditch bottom is 40 cm, ditch surface is 60 cm, and ridge height is 20 cm.
2. Sowing
The matrix soil should be disinfected and sieved, with large particles placed at the bottom, about 4 to 5 cm thick, fine soil on top, about 4 to 5 cm thick, leveled, watered thoroughly, evenly sown, covered with about 0.5 cm of soil, lightly pressed, and kept moist, with a temperature of 15°C to 25°C.
3. Transplanting and planting
The seedling stage is about 1 week. When the seedlings have 5-6 leaves, they can be transplanted into nutrient pots, avoiding direct sunlight and can be placed under a shade house. After 15 to 20 days, when the seedlings generally have 15 leaves, they can be planted. Specifications are 40×40 cm or 40×50 cm.
4. Water and fertilizer
Keep the soil moist but not dry, watering about 3-4 times a week. Apply fertilizer once a month, with 5 kilograms of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium per thousand square meters. Forget-me-not has a high demand for boron, with 2 kilograms of borax applied as a base fertilizer per thousand square meters before planting.
5. Preventing lodging
Since forget-me-nots have a tall shape with flowers concentrated at the top of the inflorescence, and can produce 30-40 flowering stems per plant during the peak bloom, lodging must be prevented. Specifically, set up 15 cm galvanized iron pipes (or wooden stakes) at certain distances around the ridge, tie the wire along the ground parallel to the stakes, and then use bamboo poles or bamboo pieces to cross between the plants and tie them with thin ropes.
6. Pest and disease control
In the seedling stage, the larvae of the golden turtle beetle can damage the roots, so a small amount of Temik 15% granules should be scattered in the planting holes during planting. For aphids and mites, spray with dimethoate.
7. Harvesting and packaging
Harvest when each inflorescence reaches full bloom, cutting from the base and quickly placing it in a bucket of clean water. In the room, remove the basal leaves, bundle into 60 cm lengths, tie into bundles of 500 grams, and pack for market.
The above is about how to raise forget-me-nots and related care skills, cultivation, and management techniques for reference by green plant enthusiasts, hoping to solve your problems in green plant and flower management.