How to cultivate the Forget-Me-Not flower
A small tip for life: introducing how to grow Forget-Me-Not flowers and the cultivation techniques and management experience of Forget-Me-Not plants. Here is a comprehensive introduction.
The Forget-Me-Not is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Boraginaceae family, also known as Starflower, Immortal Flower, Unfading Flower, and Forget-Me-Not. The plant is small and elegant, commonly used for arranging flower beds and borders in spring or early summer. It can be planted with bulbous flowers to enhance the ornamental effect and can also be potted for display.
The Forget-Me-Not is native to Yunnan, Sichuan, Jiangsu, North China, Northwest China, and Northeast China. It is highly adaptable, prefers dry and cool climates, dislikes humidity, loves light, and is drought-resistant. The optimal growing temperature is between 20°C and 25°C, and it thrives in loose, fertile, and well-drained slightly alkaline soil.
I. Seedling cultivation:
Propagating Forget-Me-Not is very easy. Besides sowing in autumn, it can also be sown in spring, but the flowers from spring sowing are less ornamental than those from autumn sowing. Sowing usually takes place from September to the following January. First, prepare a seedbed with a mixture of decayed leaf soil, matured compost, garden soil, and sand. Before sowing, the seeds should be treated to improve germination rates. Soak the seeds in warm water at 30°C for three days, changing the water daily, then wrap them in damp gauze to germinate. When the seeds start to germinate, they can be sown, covered with soil, and the seedbed should be kept moist. The temperature should not exceed 25°C. After the seeds sprout, they need ventilation at a temperature of 15-25°C, and they will germinate in about 10 days.
II. Potting soil preparation: Forget-Me-Not can be planted outdoors or in pots. Most people cultivate Forget-Me-Not in pots. It thrives in soil rich in organic matter and good drainage. Therefore, preparing the cultivation soil is important. Pots have limitations, as they are a special micro-environment. No single type of soil can meet all the needs of potted flowers. Therefore, artificial potting soil must be prepared to replace the natural soil and keep the flowers fixed in the pot, with good water retention, drainage, and loose, fertile, well-drained, and slightly alkaline soil rich in humus. The potting soil for Forget-Me-Not is generally prepared with humus soil, garden soil, yellow sand, and household waste. Alternatively, a mixture of 75% humus soil or garden soil and 25% coarse sand, or a mix of 50% pond mud, 25% compost, and 25% sand. It is best to use the potting soil after high-temperature sterilization or after sunning to kill germs.
III. Potting: Transplant the seedlings when they have more than 5 true leaves. Cut off the broken, cracked, damaged, and overly long roots of the Forget-Me-Not plant before transplanting it into the pot. Place broken tiles at the bottom of the pot, then add some cake fertilizer, bones, fish bones, chicken feathers, etc., as a base fertilizer. Fill in the potting soil, place the Forget-Me-Not plant in the center of the pot, and spread the roots. Fill the soil to half the pot, then gently lift and shake the plant to compact the soil. The planting should not be too deep; keep the rootstock level with the pot opening. Too shallow will affect survival, and too deep will affect the growth after transplanting. Water thoroughly after planting. After planting, keep the plant in a shaded environment for about a week before moving it to a sunny location.
IV. Management: After the seeds germinate and the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, the first transplanting is done. When the seedlings have 5-6 true leaves, they can be planted in the open ground with a spacing of 30-40 cm. After the first transplant, when the seedlings have 7-8 leaves, they can be planted in pots. Forget-Me-Not prefers dry conditions, deep, loose, and well-drained slightly alkaline sandy loam. Fertilize with organic肥料 and slow-release compound fertilizer, mixing it evenly into the soil. Fertilize frequently, applying decomposed thin human waste every week. During the flowering period, apply potassium and boron fertilizers to improve the quality and yield of cut flowers. Forget-Me-Not prefers a dry and well-drained environment and dislikes waterlogging. The amount of watering should be controlled throughout the growing period to avoid reducing the quality and yield of the flowers. Keep the soil moist. In winter, protect from the sun and keep potted plants in a warm bed or buried in the soil. For outdoor cultivation, cover the roots with straw to protect from the sun, remove the straw in March of the following year, till the soil once, and then apply a dilute solution of human waste once, after which fertilizing can be stopped.
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