How to grow Boraginaceae forget-me-not seeds? Detailed guide to benefits and flower tea preparation
Forget-me-not is a plant in the genus Myosotis of the family Boraginaceae. Forget-me-not is a perennial herbaceous plant, 30-60cm tall. Whorled cymes, 10-15cm long; here we tell you what methods there are for growing forget-me-not from seed? What benefits and effects does it have? Flower tea preparation instructions. Forget-me-not has small light blue flowers, and the flowering period is April-May. It has strong adaptability, prefers a dry, cool climate, dislikes damp heat, likes light, is drought-tolerant, and the optimum growth temperature is 20°C-25°C.
I. Forget-me-not growing methods
1. Soil and planting
Forget-me-not has low requirements for soil, but loose, breathable sandy loam with a deep soil layer is best. Before planting, adjust the soil pH so that it is slightly alkaline. Base fertilizer accounts for 70% of the total fertilizer amount; calculated per 100 sq m of planting bed, it should contain 1.75 kg of nitrogen, 2.0 kg of phosphorus, 2.1 kg of potassium, and 0.14 kg of boron. Use slow-release compound fertilizer and decomposed organic fertilizer as the base fertilizer, and after application, mix it evenly into the soil. Level the soil and make beds, with the bed height at about 20cm. The planting spacing is 30 cm × 40 cm, in double rows staggered. If planting 3 rows, arrange the 3 rows in a staggered pattern, which helps ventilation and light penetration. Young seedlings should not be planted too deep; the planting depth should be level with the root crown and the soil surface, and water thoroughly immediately after planting.
2. Fertilizer and water management
Of the total fertilizer amount applied during the growing period, 70% of nitrogen, potassium, etc. is applied as base fertilizer, and 30% as topdressing; all phosphorus fertilizer is applied as base fertilizer, and topdressing is generally applied once per season. Applying potassium fertilizer and boron fertilizer during the flowering period helps improve the quality and yield of cut flowers.
Forget-me-not prefers a dry environment with good drainage and dislikes waterlogging. During the entire growth period, watering should be properly controlled, otherwise the flowering quality and yield will decline.
3. Water and fertilizer management
When the young seedlings have survived and begin to grow, apply topdressing together with irrigation every 10 days, adding a mixed solution of 200 mg/kg nitrogen fertilizer and 100 mg/kg potassium fertilizer to the water for fertilization. During the seedling stage, keep the soil moist, and pay attention to frequent intertillage and weeding to promote strong development of the seedling root system. About 2 months after the seedlings are planted, they begin to send up flowering branches. Once statice enters the flowering stage, water and fertilizer must be sufficient, otherwise the flowering branches will be short and small and the flowers will not be luxuriant. A mixed solution of 200 mg/kg nitrogen and potassium can be added to the irrigation water, fertilizing about once every 10 days. During the bolting and flowering stage, in addition to applying liquid fertilizer, it is also necessary to spray a mixed solution of 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 0.01% boric acid on the leaves to increase the yield and quality of statice cut flowers.
4. Temperature management
Forget-me-not prefers a cool environment and fears high temperatures. During cultivation, it is best to keep the ambient temperature at 12-20°C. Forget-me-not plants have relatively strong cold resistance. Under the natural winter temperature conditions in Kunming, some varieties can overwinter outdoors; for most varieties, as long as the root system has fully grown before winter, even if all the aboveground leaves die, their perennial roots will still sprout and bloom the following spring. However, forget-me-not flowering is extremely sensitive to low temperatures; only when the daytime temperature reaches above 20°C and the nighttime temperature is not lower than 10°C can the flowering branches grow and bloom.
5. Light
Forget-me-not can grow normally only under sufficient sunlight. If the environment is shaded, although the clump may be lush, it will send up few flowering stems. Therefore, plants should receive sunlight for more than 4 hours per day. If full sun can be ensured, growth will be even better.
6. Flower branch support
To produce high-quality forget-me-not cut flowers, netting is usually used to support the flowering branches. Specifically, before the plants bolt, stretch one layer of netting 20-30 cm above the ground, and after the plants grow flowering stems, cover a second layer of netting at a height of 45 cm above the ground. As the flowering branches grow, guide them into the netting in time and keep the flowering stems upright.
7. Shaping and pruning
During the growth period, forget-me-not should be treated differently according to seedling size in regard to the flowering branches it sends up. For larger plants whose leaves between plants have basically closed the rows, keep 4-5 flowering branches per plant to grow and bloom; for smaller seedlings, the flowering branches can be removed to suppress flowering for the time being, allowing the plants to grow fully and laying the foundation for producing high-quality cut flowers, and let them enter the flowering production period only after the plants have grown sufficiently. During this period, newly sent-up thin and weak flowering branches should also be removed regularly to concentrate nutrients for the flowering branches, improve ventilation and light conditions inside the plants, reduce the number of blind flowers in the middle and lower parts of the plants, and improve the quality of individual flowering branches. After the cut flower volume exceeds 50%, begin cultivating flowering branches for the next crop. The method is to retain a small number of newly sent-up flowering branches during this period; after all flowers of the previous crop have been cut, the retained flowering branches will have grown to a certain height, thereby effectively shortening the time between the two crops and enabling statice to bloom continuously for the market.
8. Harvesting and marketing
When the petals on each small flower branch have opened to 30% and the entire inflorescence has colored, they can be harvested. When harvesting in the morning or evening, cut from the base of the plant; especially at the initial stage of harvesting, cut above one large leaf of the flowering branch, as this can promote the sprouting of axillary buds on the plant. After cutting, immerse the base of the flowering branches in preservative solution so that the branches remain adequately hydrated for market. Forget-me-not cut flowers can be stored for 2-3 weeks at about 2°C.
9. Pest and disease control
Forget-me-not diseases include gray mold, powdery mildew, viral disease, and others. Gray mold can be controlled by spraying 800-1000 times chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl continuously 3-4 times. Powdery mildew can be controlled by spraying fenarimol and the like, while viral disease is mainly controlled by measures such as promptly pulling out diseased plants and burning them, and spraying insecticides to prevent insects from transmitting the disease. Scale insects are the most common pest of Monstera deliciosa; when few in number, they can be cleaned off with an old toothbrush and then killed by spraying 1000 times 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.
II. Benefits and effects of forget-me-not
Clears heat and detoxifies, clears the heart and brightens the eyes, nourishes yin and tonifies the kidneys, beautifies the appearance, nourishes blood, and can promote the body's metabolism, delay cell aging, and improve immunity. It has the effect of nourishing blood and regulating menstruation. It beautifies and whitens, clears internal heat and brightens the eyes, and in particular has a certain eliminating effect on freckles and acne. It is antiviral and helps prevent and fight cancer. It has skin care and beautifying benefits, promotes metabolism, can effectively regulate women's physiological problems, and is the first choice beverage for healthy women.
III. Flower tea preparation instructions
An appropriate amount of forget-me-not flowers (blue), 1 teaspoon of green tea, a little honey.
Method
1. Place the forget-me-not flowers and green tea in a cup and brew with hot boiled water.
2. Wait about 3 minutes to let the forget-me-not flowers release their flavor, then add honey.
Notes
1. Drinking more green tea can enhance the toughness of human blood vessels and also strengthen the teeth.
2. Forget-me-not flowers are rich in vitamin C, which can slow the formation of wrinkles and dark spots.
Whitens the skin, clears the liver and brightens the eyes, nourishes yin and tonifies the kidneys, and can promote the body's metabolism, delay cell aging, and improve immunity. Contains vitamin C, helps eliminate excess fat, and prevents the formation of wrinkles and dark spots.
Effects: nourishes yin and tonifies the kidneys, beautifies the appearance, nourishes and tonifies blood, and can promote the body's metabolism, delay cell aging, and improve immunity. It has the effects of clearing the liver and brightening the eyes, nourishing yang and tonifying the kidneys, and nourishing blood and regulating menstruation. It beautifies and whitens, clears internal heat and brightens the eyes, and in particular has a certain eliminating effect on freckles and acne. It nourishes yin and tonifies the kidneys and beautifies the appearance. It nourishes and tonifies blood, promotes the body's metabolism, delays cell aging, improves immune function, is antiviral, and helps prevent and fight cancer. It whitens the skin, clears the liver and brightens the eyes, nourishes yin and tonifies the kidneys, and can promote the body's metabolism. It delays cell aging and improves immunity. It has skin care and beautifying benefits, promotes metabolism, can effectively regulate women's physiological problems, and is the first choice beverage for healthy women.