How to sow Nigella seeds?

Nigella is a small annual plant that offers a delightful summer flowering. Nigella flowers open into marvellous star-like displays of simplicity and finesse, often blue like Nigella damascena, which is the best known, but sometimes pink or white. Its foliage is also appreciated for being very fine, feathery, like fennel. The flowers then produce original fruits, in round, parchment-like capsules that are very decorative.

Familiar in cottage gardens, Nigella damascena thrives all summer in rockeries and perennial beds, where it lightens flowering displays. It is a charming must-have for country gardens and English-style mixed borders. Nigella seeds are very easy to sow in sun in any well-drained substrate. Sowing nigella is child's play—follow our advice!

how to sow nigella seeds, sowing nigella seeds

Required equipment

To sow in open ground

An organic fork
A rake
A hoe
a seed sower
All-purpose compost
A watering can

To sow in pots

Seed compost
Pots or planters
A spray bottle

When and how to harvest nigella seeds?

To collect seeds, harvest the capsules at the end of summer when they turn brown and begin to open slightly. Dry them. Once completely dry, store them in a paper bag kept in a cool, dry, dark place. You can also find packets of nigella seeds in our online nursery Promesse de fleurs.

Where to sow nigella seeds?

Nigellas multiply very easily by sowing, directly in open ground or in pots in a light soil. Choose a sunny position.

When to sow nigella seeds?

Sow nigella seeds in sun, directly in place in March or early April after frosts for flowering from June to September, depending on sowing date. In warm regions, sow in early autumn. You can create beautiful flowering tubs for spring by sowing in a cold frame or in a conservatory at the end of summer and in autumn.

How to sow nigella seeds?

You can use seeds you harvested in your garden or our packets of nigella seeds.

In open ground

Work the soil well with an organic fork to loosen and lighten it before sowing
Remove stones, roots and weeds
Use the hoe to mark out furrows 30 cm apart
Broadcast the seeds to a depth of 6 mm; if needed, use a seed sower
Cover with a fine layer of compost
Firm the soil using the blade of the hoe
Water copiously with a fine spray using a watering can and keep the soil moist until germination (about 12 days)
If necessary, thin out seedlings to leave only one every 20–30 cm

In pots

You can sow Nigella damascena directly in pots or window boxes, as nigella roots are fragile and do not tolerate transplanting well. The substrate must be very free-draining.

Consider laying a drainage layer at the bottom of the container (gravel, broken pot shards or clay balls) to allow water to drain away
Sow the seeds on the surface of a good seed compost mixed with coarse sand
Lightly cover the seeds with compost
Place your sowings under a heated frame at about 18°C
Keep moist without excess until seedlings emerge
When seedlings are sturdy, move pots outside into sun

⇒ Learn how to succeed in the sowing of annual seeds directly in ground or in trays