How to plant forget-me-not seeds? Flowering time and price per bunch of cut flowers explained

Forget-me-not is a plant of the genus Myosotis in the family Boraginaceae. It is grown in Jiangsu, the Northwest, North China, Sichuan, Yunnan, the Northeast and other parts of mainland China. So when does forget-me-not bloom? How do you plant the seeds? How much does a bunch of cut flowers cost? Here is a detailed summary:

Forget-me-not is suited to growing in temperate regions. This flower is highly adaptable, likes a dry, cool climate, dislikes damp heat, loves light and tolerates drought. It takes about three months from germination to flowering.

Each year, forget-me-not blooms from spring to early summer, that is, from May to June. The flowering period of forget-me-not can be regulated. The vernalization temperature for forget-me-not seeds is 2°C. The treatment time is 30 to 40 days. The seeds receiving treatment should be seeds that have already sprouted; dry seeds are ineffective after cold storage.

At present, through artificial cultivation and temperature control technology, forget-me-not can be made to bloom in all four seasons. Varieties are mainly divided into early-maturing and late-maturing types. Early-maturing varieties include Early Blue, Gold Coast and Blue Pearl. Mid-to-late-maturing varieties include Iceberg, Night Blue and Blue Velvet. Growers should fully understand the characteristics of the varieties and market demand in order to choose suitable varieties.

How to plant forget-me-not seeds

Soak the seeds in cold water for one hour. Wet the toilet paper to the point where it does not drip when lifted. Put the soaked seeds on the toilet paper, then cover with another layer of wet toilet paper. Be sure not to let water accumulate or let it dry out. Put it in a cup or bowl, tilt it to pour off the accumulated water, until it basically does not drip. The packaging should state the germination temperature; just control it yourself to roughly around that temperature.

Just plant them in soil; nutrient solution is too much trouble. Do not use loess or red soil for the soil, as it easily compacts. It is best to use black humus soil. Put the germinated seeds (just when the white root tip shows) on the surface of the soil. Note that the soil moisture is best when it can be pinched into a ball but does not seep water. Try to make the soil loose, then sprinkle a thin layer of soil over the seeds, half a centimeter is enough to cover the seeds. When watering during the sprouting stage, poke three to five small holes in the top of a cola bottle with a needle. Do not make the holes too big; if they are too big they will compact the soil and the sprouts will die. Spray from high above.

Daily management

Water and fertilizer management

When the seedlings survive 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 regular hoeing and weeding to promote strong root development of the seedlings. About 2 months after the seedlings are planted out, they begin to send up flower stems. Once statice enters the flowering period, water and fertilizer must be sufficient, otherwise the flower stems will be short and small and the flowers will not be lush. You can add a 200 mg/kg nitrogen-potassium mixed solution to the irrigation water and fertilize about once every 10 days. During the bolting and flowering period, in addition to applying liquid fertilizer, it is also necessary to spray the leaves with a mixed solution of 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 0.01% boric acid to increase the yield and quality of statice cut flowers.

Temperature management

Forget-me-not likes a cool environment and fears hot weather. During cultivation, it is best to keep the ambient temperature at 12-20°C. Forget-me-not plants are fairly cold-resistant. Under the natural winter temperature conditions in Kunming, some varieties can overwinter in the open field. For most varieties, as long as the root system has grown fully before winter, even if all the aboveground leaves die, the 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 flower stems grow and bloom.

Light

Forget-me-not can only grow normally under sufficient sunlight. If the environment is shaded, although the clumps may be lush, they send up few flower stems. Therefore, the plants should receive sunlight for more than 4 hours a day. If full sun can be guaranteed, growth will be even better.

Flower stem support

To produce high-quality forget-me-not cut flowers, netting is usually used to support the flower stems. Specifically, before the plants bolt, stretch one layer of netting 20-30 cm above the ground, and after the plants grow flower stems, put up a second layer of netting 45 cm above the ground. As the flower stems grow, guide and support them into the net openings in time to keep the flower stems upright.

Shaping and pruning

During the growth period of forget-me-not, the flower stems it sends up should be handled differently according to the size of the seedlings. For plants that have already grown larger and whose leaves between plants have basically closed the rows, keep 4-5 flower stems per plant to grow and bloom; for smaller seedlings, the flowering stems can be removed to inhibit 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, also regularly remove newly sent-up thin and weak flower stems to concentrate nutrients for the flowering stems, improve the 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 flower stems. After the cut flower harvest exceeds 50%, begin cultivating the flowering stems for the next crop. The method is to keep a small number of newly sent-up flower stems during this period. After all the flowers of the previous crop have been cut, the retained flower stems have already grown to a certain height, thereby effectively shortening the time between the two crops and enabling statice to bloom continuously to supply the market.

Cutting and marketing

When the petals on each small flower stem have opened to 30% and the entire inflorescence has colored up, they can be harvested and cut. When harvesting flowers in the morning or evening, cut from the base of the plant. Especially at the initial stage of harvesting, cut above one large leaf on the flower stem, as this can promote the sprouting of axillary buds on the plant. After cutting, immerse the base of the flower stems in preservative solution so that the flower stems remain sufficiently hydrated for market. Forget-me-not cut flowers can be stored for 2-3 weeks at around 2°C.

Pest and disease control

Forget-me-not diseases include gray mold, powdery mildew and viral diseases. Gray mold can be controlled by spraying 800-1000 times diluted chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl 3-4 times in succession. Powdery mildew can be controlled by spraying fenarimol and the like. For viral diseases, the main measures are promptly pulling out and burning diseased plants and spraying insecticides to prevent insects from transmitting the disease.

Mealybugs are the most common pest of Monstera deliciosa. When there are only a few, they can be cleaned off with an old toothbrush and then sprayed with a 1000-fold dilution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.

How much does a bunch of forget-me-not cut flowers cost

According to the latest prices on Alibaba, forget-me-not cut flowers cost 8-15 yuan per bunch.