Description and cultivation of alpine forget-me-nots, planting and care

The delicate forget-me-not flower is known all over the world. Each country has its own legends and magical stories associated with this plant. Decorative carpets and flower beds of forget-me-nots are found in parks, squares and gardens.

Early garden crops always delight the eye and lift your spirits. This is why flower growers and gardeners love Alpine forget-me-not.

Biological features of the flower

In its natural environment, alpine forget-me-not is found in the Caucasus mountains, the Alps and the Carpathians. The plant is light-loving and unpretentious to the composition of the soil, because in nature the alpine beauty has to grow on rocky soils and rocks.

This plant variety is taken as the basis for breeding decorative varieties of the crop.

What does it look like

Small herbaceous bushes from 5 to 15 cm with large green-silver leaves. The inflorescences are dense with multiple buds that open into bright blue flowers. The maximum size of flowers is 1 cm with 5 petals. Depending on the variety, white, pink and purple flowers are found. After the vegetative period, the plant produces berries containing seeds.

When forget-me-not blooms

The flowering period of forget-me-nots is from 40 to 50 days. The period begins in April and lasts until June. Therefore, when planting a plant, it is necessary to take care of the flowering receivers in the flower beds.

How many years does it take to grow?

Alpine forget-me-not is a perennial flowering plant, but in gardens and home gardens, the crop is replaced every 2-3 years. After a 2-year flowering period, the plant begins to gradually degenerate. The bushes become taller, and active flowering gradually fades away.

Application in landscape design and floristry

Florists and landscape designers often use the alpine beauty to create unique garden beds and compositions. Forget-me-not perfectly complements flower beds with tulips, daffodils, daisies and pansies.

Decorative carpets made of forget-me-nots and alpine compositions can be found in gardens and personal plots. Also, blue flowers are planted along borders and arbors.

Conditions for growth and flowering

To grow a flower, you do not need special knowledge and skills, because forget-me-not is a completely unpretentious plant.

The only condition for proper growth and development is moderate soil and air moisture.

Climatic conditions

Since the Alpine forget-me-not is a mountain flower, the plant tolerates temperature changes easily. Spring cold snaps and frosts are not scary for her.

In garden conditions, the place where flowers are planted should be well ventilated and illuminated. In the southern regions, the flower is specially shaded by bushes and tall grasses.

Illumination of the area

Flowers are planted in well-lit areas with shaded areas. When exposed to direct sunlight, the flowering period is shortened, and the rich blue color becomes faded. To preserve beautiful bushes, taller and spreading plants are planted next to forget-me-nots, which create shade. These can be decorative ferns, bushes or tall flowers.

Soil composition

Forget-me-nots are unpretentious flowers, but the soil for them must meet the following requirements:

1. Soil oversaturated with fertilizers and nutrients is not suitable for flowers. In overly fertile soil, forget-me-nots actively grow and develop, but flowering is poor.
2. If there is a close location of groundwater and soil water on the site, the plants will begin to get sick and die.In such cases, the flower beds are raised 15-20 cm above the ground level.
3. Plants are not comfortable in sandy soils.

Important! Alpine forget-me-nots are planted in soil with a moderate content of nutrients and moisture.

Culture propagation

To increase the number of flowers in the garden plot, they are propagated. There are several ways to get new, strong and healthy plants.

Cuttings

In adult bushes, the upper shoots of 4-5 cm are cut off. The cut cuttings are immediately planted in open ground and covered with film or a jar. Plants quickly take root and enter the flowering stage already in the same season. In the first year, flowering is sparse and short-lived.

Dividing the bush

With proper care, flowers grow and develop quickly, so forget-me-not bushes are divided and planted. The process of dividing bushes is carried out at any time during the growing season of the plant. The rhizomes of the flowers are not dense, the bushes separate easily.

Seeds

Seeds are planted in open ground in mid-summer in a previously prepared flower bed. To do this, holes are dug in the ground, no more than 2 cm deep, into which the seeds are laid.

The holes with planting material are buried and watered with small holes from a watering can.

After 12-14 days, the first shoots appear, after which the plants are removed from under the film. In the winter, the flower bed is mulched, and in the spring the plants are planted in a permanent place of growth.

Important! A distinctive feature of alpine flower seeds is their black, glossy color. Gray and brownish seed is planted to produce annual plants.

How to plant a plant on the site

There are no particular difficulties with planting forget-me-nots in open ground. An inexperienced gardener or florist can handle such work.

First of all, you need to decide which planting method will be used.

Choosing a landing site

Alpine forget-me-nots have been blooming in sunny meadows and flower beds for a long time. In extreme heat and drought, plants are shaded by tall and spreading neighbors. If the flowerbed is in the open sun, the flowering period is shortened.

Neutral soils are suitable for growing, with a low content of fertilizers and fertilizing.

Optimal timing

The timing of planting flowers in open ground depends on what planting material is used for plant propagation.

Seeds are sown in mid-summer, cuttings are planted in open ground immediately after the cutting procedure, seedlings for flowers are harvested in the fall.

Sowing seedlings

Getting a blooming garden at the very beginning of spring is the dream of every gardener and florist. To ensure that flowering forget-me-nots are ready for planting in open ground in April, seedlings begin to be grown in the fall.

Flower seeds are planted in prepared containers with turf soil and sand. The seed material is carefully placed on the very surface of the soil and covered with a little soil. Containers with flowers are moistened by spraying and covered with film or glass until the first shoots appear. Next, the plants are planted in separate pots and transferred to a cool place until spring.

Planting in open ground

They begin to plant seedlings in open ground in mid-spring. And they prepare the flower beds in the fall. Organic or mineral fertilizers are added to well-loose soil, and in the spring, peat and humus are added to the soil.

Caring for forget-me-nots

A garden flower is not demanding in care, but there are agrotechnical rules that are strictly observed when growing a cultivated plant.

Watering

In spring, flowers are not watered; they only need the moisture that remains in the soil after the snow melts. Alpine garden forget-me-not is sensitive to excess moisture, so water the plant only on hot days and drought.

Top dressing

The garden flower does not require additional feeding. They are carried out if there are not enough nutrients and minerals in the soil.

2-3 weeks before flowering, use mineral fertilizers. The remaining beneficial substances are added to the soil when planting.

Fertilizer application

Organic fertilizers and humus are added to the soil in the autumn. In spring, mineral fertilizers are applied to flower beds with forget-me-nots.

How to care after flowering

After the flowering period ends, the plants lose their decorative properties. The young shoots that appear are planted, otherwise the forget-me-not will quickly grow and interfere with the development and growth of other flowers.

Pests and diseases associated with growing forget-me-nots

Flower bushes are rarely affected by fungal diseases and pests. If the necessary requirements were met when planting the plants and the rules of care were not violated, then the risk of disease is minimal.

Prevention

In order for the flowers to grow healthy and beautiful, preventive measures are taken during planting and care:

1. Before planting, seed material is treated with antibacterial drugs.
2. Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged.
3. Overgrown plantings of flowers are planted.

Important! Due to high humidity, alpine forget-me-nots often fall victim to root rot and powdery mildew.

Treatment

If the plant could not be protected from diseases and pests, it is necessary to use special preparations based on fungicides for treatment.

Wintering

Garden forget-me-nots are left in the ground for the winter. The plant easily tolerates frost, so no additional wintering work is required.

In regions with a continental climate, flower beds are covered with dry leaves or mulch.

Popular varieties of forget-me-nots

In the process of long-term work by breeders, several varieties of garden alpine forget-me-nots were developed.

Alpine blend

A combination of different colors of flowers blooming on compact bushes. Long-lasting and abundant flowering allows this type of crop to be used to decorate gardens and personal plots.

forest clearing

A perennial plant with bushes from 20 to 30 cm. The active flowering phase occurs at the end of spring. Multi-colored buds bloom with white, purple and pink flowers.

Blue perennial

Flower bushes grow up to 40 cm. The leaves are a rich green hue. During the growing season, dense inflorescences with blue and blue flowers are formed. Flowering is abundant and long lasting.

Pink varieties

Bushes from 15 to 30 cm, with fluffy basal leaves and dense, cluster-shaped inflorescences. After the buds open, pink and bright pink flowers appear. The most popular varieties of pink forget-me-nots are Carmine King and Rosylva.

Join fairy tales and legends from all over the world, and forget-me-nots will become your guide to the magical world of flowers.