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How to grow Forget-me-nots in the UK
A haze of tiny blue flowers in spring. Sow this summer for flowers next spring.
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds or Pots
- Sunpart shade or shade
- Grows to20cm
- Spacing15cm
- Time to first pickabout 40 weeks
- Typebiennial
When to sow, plant and harvest forget-me-nots
| Sow outdoors | mid May to late July |
|---|---|
| In flower | early April to late May |
Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.
Sowing it outdoors
- Pull out any weeds and rake the top of your bed until it's crumbly, like cake crumbs
- Make a little line in the soil (0.5cm deep) with your finger or a stick
- Drop the seeds in, about 15cm apart each way
- Gently cover them with soil and pat it down
- Water with a watering can that has a sprinkler head
- Push in a label so you remember what's there
Top tips for growing forget-me-nots
- Lovely under tulips.
- They seed themselves, so you'll have them for ever.
Soil and feeding
Poor soil - really!. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. Feed them and you get all leaves and no flowers.
Harvesting and eating forget-me-nots
Enjoy the blue haze. Pull them out once they look tired in June.
Saving your own forget-me-nots seed
It does it for you!.
- Leave a few flowers to set seed - it scatters them itself and new plants pop up next year
- To move them, dig up the seedlings in spring and replant them where you want them
- Or shake the dry seed heads into a paper bag in late summer
Where to buy forget-me-nots seeds
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Forget-me-nots questions
When should I sow forget-me-nots in the UK?
In the UK, sow forget-me-nots outdoors from mid May to late July. These dates suit central England; sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland and up to two weeks earlier in the mild south and south west.
When can I enjoy forget-me-nots?
Forget-me-nots is ready from early April to late May. Enjoy the blue haze. Pull them out once they look tired in June.
How long do forget-me-nots take to grow?
Roughly 40 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are forget-me-nots easy to grow?
Forget-me-nots are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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