Growing forget-me-nots from seeds is child's play. The seeds are germinative and if you have forget-me-nots in your garden, you don't have to worry about sowing them. However, if you want specific varieties or would like to determine the location yourself, you should grow the spring flower from seeds in a controlled manner.
How to grow forget-me-nots from seeds?
To grow forget-me-nots from seeds, place the seeds thinly on the surface of the soil without covering them until the end of July. Keep the soil moist until the plants germinate in two to three weeks. Transplant them to their final location by fall.
Forget-me-not sows itself
Forget-me-nots sow themselves in the garden. Many species are self-pollinators, so sufficient seeds are produced. It is spread by animals in the garden that pick up the seeds or carry them with them in their fur. Wind pollination, on the other hand, occurs less frequently.
In natural gardens, you don't have to do much to propagate forget-me-nots from seeds. Let nature take its course and just make sure that the plants aren't too crowded.
Collect or buy seeds from dead plants?
If you already have forget-me-nots in your garden, you can harvest the seeds. To do this, leave a few dead plants so that the seeds can ripen.
However, when you grow your own seeds, there is no guarantee that the same variety will grow from the seeds. If you value a particular variety that blooms particularly beautifully, it is better to buy the seeds from specialist retailers.
Alternatively, you can propagate the forget-me-nots by dividing the roots. Cutting cuttings is also possible and guarantees that the chosen forget-me-not variety is preserved.
The right time for sowing is crucial
- Sow seeds by August
- Prick out at a distance of 20 cm
- plant until autumn
- provide winter protection if necessary
In order to grow certain varieties or to breed forget-me-nots for the spring bed or balcony, you must note that the spring bloomers only bloom in the second year.
Get the seeds into the ground by the end of July so that strong plants develop by autumn.
Growing forget-me-nots from seeds
Prepare small pots or a growing bed for sowing. You can also sow the seeds right there and then. Spread the seed thinly and moisten it. Forget-me-nots germinate in light and are not covered with soil.
The soil is kept moist until the plants have germinated after two to three weeks. It's best to use a flower syringe (€21.00 on Amazon) so that the seeds don't get too wet.
You must transplant the young forget-me-not seedlings to the desired location or into a pot by autumn. Then the forget-me-not develops enough foliage to survive a cold winter.
Tip
If you don't want a specific variety, simply shake out the dead forget-me-nots that have been cut off over the desired location. If the soil is moist enough, they will germinate there on their own. You should just prick out the plants in good time so that strong perennials can develop.
