How to grow & care for Forget Me Nots
Forget Me Nots produce dainty pale blue, pale pink or mauve flowers in spring and summer. These pretty low growing, mounding plants are short lived perennials that prefer a full sun to part shade position.
Forget Me Nots will grow in most soils, but they prefer a soil rich in compost and thrive in woodland style planting situations - beneath taller growing plants or along the front edges of garden beds. If your summers are particularly hot and dry, plant them in a spot with a consistently moist soil, away from hot afternoon sun.
Forget Me Nots will self-seed easily and in some areas they are a declared weed - check with your local nursery or garden centre before planting in your region.
Top 5 steps to growing Forget Me Nots
- Choose a full sun to part shade spot in a compost enriched soil
- Forget Me Nots can be grown from seeds or potted plants easily. They will self-seed easily so don’t plant them if they are a declared weed in your region.
- For the most intense colour in your Forget Me Not flowers plant them in a part shade spot.
- Fertilise with Scotts Osmocote All Purpose Controlled Release Fertiliser in spring
- Forget Me Nots look beautiful spilling over the sides of pots or containers. Use them as the “spiller” plant in potted garden displays.
Shopping List
- Forget Me Not plants or seeds
- Scotts Osmocote All Purpose Controlled Release Fertiliser or Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed for Flowering Plants
- Scotts Osmocote Compost Premium Soil Improver
- Garden shovel
- Mulch
- Defender Pyrethrum Insect Spray
- Defender Snail & Slug Pellets
- If growing in pots, you’ll need Scotts Osmocote Premium Potting Mix + Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed for Flowering Plants and a suitable pot or container
Preparation & Planting in the garden
Forget Me Nots prefer a full sun to part shade spot, protected from hot afternoon sun. They naturally grow in woodland settings, so plant them beneath taller plants or position them towards the front of garden beds where they can soften the edges.
Prepare the site for planting by mixing a little Scotts Osmocote Compost Premium Soil Improver through the original soil - using a garden shovel to turn it through the top 10cm.
Gently remove the Forget Me Not from the nursery pot or punnet and tease the roots lightly if they are compact.
Plant your Forget Me Nots into the prepared soil and backfill around each. Water in well and mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.
Growing from seed
Forget Me Nots can be grown easily from seeds that are broadcast over prepared soil in spring when the soil is warm. Cover the seeds with more soil and keep them moist while they germinate.
If you’d prefer to start Forget Me Nots from seeds in pots - sow seed into pots or punnets filled with Scotts Osmocote Premium Potting Mix. If the pots are kept in a protected, frost free spot Forget Me Nots seeds can be sown in late autumn or winter.
Transplant pot or punnet grown Forget Me Nots into the garden or larger pots in spring.
Planting in pots
Forget Me Nots can be grown in small to medium pots or planters (at least 20cm wide and deep) with good drainage. If you’re limited on space, use Forget Me Nots to underplant taller potted plants - it looks beautiful cascading over the side of a pot.
Fill your pot or planter with Scotts Osmocote Premium Potting Mix. Gently remove the Forget Me Not from the nursery pot and tease the roots lightly if they are compact or seperate the plants if they are growing in punnets. Plant the Forget Me Not into the potting mix and backfill around the plant. Water in well and top the soil with mulch to retain moisture.
Fertilising & Care
Forget Me Nots don’t need a lot of fertiliser, a single application of Scotts Osmocote All Purpose Controlled Release Fertiliser in spring is normally more than enough for them. Alternatively give your Forget Me Nots a fortnightly application of Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed for Flowering Plants to really boost flower production during spring.
Deadhead Forget Me Nots throughout the flowering season to encourage bushy plants and more flowers - deadheading and removing spent flowers will also help prevent them self-seeding and spreading around your garden if you don’t want this to happen.
Pests & Diseases
Forget Me Nots are susceptible to fungal diseases in high humidity. To reduce the risk of rust and powdery mildew, follow the recommended plant spacings and remove any infested stems if you spot them.
Slugs and Snails can cause significant damage to young Forget Me Not seedlings. Protect young plants by setting beer traps (saucers filled with beer) amongst seedlings or use Defender Snail & Slug Pellets.
