How to Grow Forget-Me-Not
Forget-Me-Not At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial Shade
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Boraginaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Biennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Forget-me-nots flower in their second spring, so sow them outdoors in early summer for flowers the next spring. Sow the seeds 0.5 cm deep and cover them well, since they sprout best in the dark, then keep the soil damp: they come up in 10 to 14 days. Thin them (pull the extras) so each plant has 15 cm. After that first sowing, they drop their own seed and come back every year.
Forget-me-nots grow leaves the first year, flower in spring the next, then drop their seed and die, and the new seedlings carry on so the patch comes back every year. They spread freely, and in some areas they escape into woods and wet spots, so pull out seedlings where you do not want them.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Forget-Me-Not?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Forget-Me-Not Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Forget-Me-Not Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow forget-me-nots now for flowers next spring
60 days after your last frost· every year
Did you water your forget-me-not seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the forget-me-not seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 24 days after you plant it
Hello! Keep your forget-me-nots in light shade with moist soil, and they will be very happy.
About 44 days after you plant it
Lovely progress. Forget-me-nots often bloom the spring after sowing, so a leafy clump now is right on track.
About 74 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your forget-me-not.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Forget-Me-Not's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 10–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow forget-me-nots in part shade, or in sun where the soil stays moist.
- 2They like moist soil with some compost mixed in.
- 3Water whenever the top of the soil starts to dry, since they wilt fast in dry ground.
- 4They need no extra feeding, and rich soil just makes floppy plants.
- 5Powdery mildew (a white dust on the leaves) often shows up after flowering, so give the plants room for air to flow and pull them out once they have dropped their seed.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~90
Days to Maturity
30 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
45 days
When to Pick
Harvest blooms when fully open
How to Harvest
- 1Cut stems for small posies when the first flowers in each cluster have opened.
- 2Put them straight into water, since they wilt quickly.
- 3Once flowering fades in early summer, leave a few plants to drop their seeds for next year.
- 4Pull out the rest once they turn brown and messy, as the plants are finished after flowering.
- 5Thin the new seedlings in late summer so each has about 15 cm of space.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Forget-me-nots of the same kind cross easily, so if you grow blue, pink and white ones together, expect mixed colours. The flowers turn into tiny pods that ripen to black seeds within a few weeks. When the stems start to turn brown, shake them over a paper bag, or pull a few plants and lay them on a sheet to finish drying. Store the seeds labelled somewhere cool, dark and dry, where they keep about 2 to 3 years.
Seed Production
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