Alpine forget-me-not: variety description, planting and care, growing from seeds

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 forget-me-not flower beds are found in parks, squares and gardens.

Early garden crops are always pleasant to the eye and uplifting. This is why flower growers and gardeners love the forget-me-not alpine.

Biological characteristics of a flower

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

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

Looks like

Small herbaceous bushes from 5 to 15 cm with large green-silvery leaves. The inflorescences are dense with multiple buds that open with bright blue flowers. The maximum flower size is 1 cm with 5 petals. Depending on the variety, there are white, pink and purple flowers. After the vegetative period, berries are formed on the plant, in which the seeds are located.

When the forget-me-not blooms

The flowering period of forget-me-not is from 40 to 50 days. The period begins in April and continues until June. Therefore, when planting a plant, you need to take care of the flowering receivers in the flower beds.

How old is growing?

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

Application in landscape design and floristry

Florists and landscapers often use the alpine beauty to create unique garden beds and arrangements. Forget-me-not is a great addition to flower beds with tulips, daffodils, daisies and pansies.

In gardens and home gardens there are decorative carpets of forget-me-nots and alpine compositions. Also, blue flowers are planted along borders and arbors.

Growing and flowering conditions

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. She is not afraid of spring cold snaps and frosts.

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

Site illumination

Flowers are planted in well-lit areas with shaded areas. From direct sunlight, the flowering period is reduced, and the rich blue color becomes faded. To preserve beautiful bushes, taller and spreading plants are planted next to the forget-me-nots, which create a shadow. 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:

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 scarce.
If the site is close to ground and soil water, the plants will start to get sick and die. In such cases, the flower beds are raised 15-20 cm above the ground.
The plants are not comfortable in sandy soils.

Important! Alpine forget-me-not is planted in soil with a moderate content of nutrients and moisture.

Crop propagation

To increase the number of flowers on the plot, they are propagated. There are several ways to get new, strong and he althy plants.

Shanks

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

Dividing the bush

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

Seeds

Seeds are planted in open ground in the middle of summer in a pre-prepared flower bed. To do this, they dig holes in the soil, no more than 2 cm deep, in which seeds are laid out.

Pits with planting material are dug in and watered from a watering can with small holes.

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

Important! A distinctive feature of the seeds of the alpine flower, black, glossy color. Gray and brownish seed material is planted to grow annuals.

How to plant a plant on the plot

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

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

Choosing a landing site

Alpine forget-me-not pleases with flowering in sunny meadows and flower beds for a long time. In extreme heat and drought, the plants are shaded by tall and sprawling neighbors. If the flower bed is under the open sun, then the flowering period is reduced.

Soils suitable for cultivation are neutral, with a low content of fertilizers and dressings.

Optimal timing

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

Seeds are sown in the middle of summer, cuttings are planted in open ground immediately after cuttings, seedlings for flowers are harvested from autumn.

Sowing seedlings

To get a blooming garden at the very beginning of spring is the dream of every gardener and florist. In order for flowering forget-me-nots to be ready for planting in open ground as early as April, seedlings should be grown in autumn.

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

Landing in open ground

Plant seedlings in open ground begin in mid-spring. And the preparation of flower beds is done in the fall. Organic or mineral fertilizers are added to well loosened soil, and in 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.

Irrigation

In spring, the flowers are not watered, they have enough 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.

Feeding

Garden flower is not picky about additional dressings. They are carried out if there are not enough useful substances and minerals in the soil.

2-3 weeks before flowering, use mineral top dressing. The remaining nutrients are introduced into the soil when planting.

Fertilization

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

How to care after flowering

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

Pests and diseases associated with the cultivation of 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 diseases is minimal.

Prevention

In order for the flowers to grow he althy and beautiful, preventive measures are taken in the process of planting and care:

Before planting, the seed material is treated with antibacterial drugs.
Do not overmoisten the soil.
The overgrown planting of flowers is being planted.

Important! Due to high humidity, alpine forget-me-not often becomes a victim of 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-not is left in the ground for the winter. The plant easily tolerates frosts, so no additional wintering work is required.

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

Popular forget-me-not varieties

During the long work of breeders, several varieties of garden alpine forget-me-not have been bred.

Alpine Blend

Combination of different colors of flowers blooming on compact bushes. Long and abundant flowering allows you to use this type of crop to decorate garden and home gardens.

Forest clearing

Perennial plant with bushes from 20 to 30 cm. The active phase of flowering occurs at the end of spring. Multicolored buds open with white, purple and pink flowers.

Perennial Blue

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

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