- Prune forget-me-nots in the fall
- Prevent self-seeding by cutting
- Pruning to prevent fungal diseases
- Do not dispose of trimmings in the compost
Forget-me-not is an undemanding perennial in the garden or on the balcony. Hardly any maintenance is required other than occasional watering. However, it makes sense to prune the plants either in the fall or after flowering. This will prevent self-seeding and fungal diseases.
Forget-me-nots also make a pretty cut flower
Prune forget-me-nots in the fall
- Cut back perennials in autumn
- remove faded inflorescences
- cut diseased shoots and leaves
If you don't mind the dried inflorescences and wilted leaves, you don't need to cut back forget-me-nots at all.
The flowering period cannot be extended by pruning.
Otherwise, like all perennials, you should cut the plants back in the fall. To ensure that the forget-me-not survives the winter afterwards, you can sprinkle some leaves over the flowers.
Prevent self-seeding by cutting
Forget-me-nots are self-fertile and self-seed in the garden. If you want to prevent self-seeding, you must prune the plants after flowering. Otherwise, seeds form, which spread over animals in the garden.
If you want to collect seed to sow elsewhere, leave only a few plants for the seed to mature.
Perennial perennials should not be cut back too much in summer so that the plant can gather new strength through the leaves.
Pruning to prevent fungal diseases
Unfortunately, forget-me-nots are prone to fungal diseases, which occur particularly in damp weather. The plants are then covered by a white or gray layer. This is either gray mold or powdery mildew.
Infested perennials must be severely cut back or removed completely so that the fungi do not spread to other plants.
Cut back the forget-me-not completely after flowering to prevent fungal infestation in the first place.
Do not dispose of trimmings in the compost
You should not throw faded inflorescences on the compost if you do not want to self-seed. This also applies to leftovers from forget-me-nots that have been infested with fungi or pests.
tips
Forget-me-nots can be propagated not only by sowing, but also by cuttings. To do this, cut off small twigs so deep that there is still a piece of the root on them. Place the cuttings in a jar of rainwater to allow new roots to form.