Forget-me-not

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

.

Attract Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

, Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Coccinellidae

The one predator here where the adults hunt as hard as the larvae do.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

to keep them in check — plant LovageExcellent, Sweet CicelyExcellent and InulaGreat nearby.

🌼 Beneficial companion — draws Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

that help control

on neighbouring plants.

Growing from seed

Start Forget-me-not indoors about 6 weeks before your last frost, keeping seeds in cooler soil (around 10–18 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 14 days. Move seedlings out once the danger of frost has passed, in partial sun, spaced about 20 cm apart. Expect the first blooms in roughly 210 days.

Keep track of the seeds you own.

Companion Planting

• 
  Blue Sage
  

  Blue SageExcellent pair

  • ❧Blue Sage attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Forget-me-not
  • ❧Blue Sage roots deep while Forget-me-not feeds near the surface — no competition
  • ❧Forget-me-not acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Blue Sage
• 
  Chaytor's Lavender
  

  Chaytor's LavenderExcellent pair

  • ❧Chaytor's Lavender attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps and more, which prey on the Aphids and Whitefly that attack Forget-me-not
  • ❧Forget-me-not draws Bees and Bumblebees that improve pollination for both
  • ❧Chaytor's Lavender roots deep while Forget-me-not feeds near the surface — no competition
• 
  Cleveland Sage
  

  Cleveland SageExcellent pair

  • ❧Cleveland Sage attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Forget-me-not
  • ❧Cleveland Sage roots deep while Forget-me-not feeds near the surface — no competition
  • ❧Forget-me-not acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Cleveland Sage

How to grow Forget-me-not

1. Sow6 weeks before frost
2. Germinates14 days
3. Space20 cm apart
4. GrowPartial sun
5. Harvest~210 days

Water: Medium · Height: 30 cm · Soil: Moist, well-draining — tolerates most soils