Forget Me Not (Mysotis)

Growing Guide

The perfect partner for spring bulbs, Myosotis, commonly know as Forget Me Not produces frothy sprays of sky blue flowers from mid-spring to early summer. Stunning when planted en masse, Forget Me Not creates a carpet of colour in beds, borders and containers and is so easy to grow. A simple yet effective bed filler.

Sow Forget Me Not seeds from April to June on the surface of a good seed compost. Do not cover the seed. Place in a propagator or seal the seed tray inside a polythene bag until after germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged and do not exclude light, as this helps germination.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into 7.5cm pots and grow on in cooler conditions. When Forget Me Not plants are well grown gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting outdoors in late Summer/early Autumn. Alternatively, over winter forget-me-not plants in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring. Plant Forget Me Nots at a distance of 15cm apart in well drained, reliably moist soil in full sun or semi shade.

Alternatively direct sow Forget Me Not seeds outdoors in September and October where they are to grow in soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Sow seeds thinly, at a depth of 6mm in drills spaced 30cmapart. Water the ground regularly, especially during dry periods. When forget-me-not seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them out to 15cm apart.



Feed and water Forget Me Mots regularly until fully established. These plants will often seed freely to create large clumps of seedlings that will flower in the following year.

TOP TIPS

Most forget-me-not varieties are biennial, meaning they self-seed freely. Pull up the plants before they set seed if you don't want them to spread too profusely.

Older plants that survive beyond the second year as perennials can be divided to keep them healthy, ensuring that they have plenty of room to spread.

There aren’t very many pests that affect forget-me-not, the main disease to keep an eye out for and try to prevent is powdery mildew. With high humidity and dry leaves comes Golovinomyces cynoglossi, a fungus that causes fluffy white growth on leaf surfaces. To prevent powdery mildew, make sure your plants have enough space between each other and other plants. If you see white fuzzy spots appearing on the leaves, remove individual leaves before it spreads, or get rid of the entire plant if it is severely infected.