Hello! Nigella Damascus - growing from seed, planting and care in our material. Nigella damasceana (Nigella damasceana) or nipper is a grassy annual with branchy stems from 30 to 50 cm high.
This is an unpretentious ornamental plant, in which not only flowers are beautiful, but also the leaves are twice or triplicate-dissected, the upper ones of which rise above the flower like an openwork coverlet.
Chernushka flowers, large - up to 4 cm in diameter, bisexual, single, with five sepals, resembling petals, white, blue or blue. In flowers terry sepals sepals are located in two, three or four rows.
Nigella petals are transformed into nectaries. Chernushka fruit is an oblate or swollen capsule consisting of five leaflets containing dull, egg-shaped, black nigella seeds.
In ornamental floriculture, nigella flowers are an important element of landscape design: they are planted along hedges and borders, in flowerbeds, in rockeries, on alpine slides, and they are also used as an element of floral arrangements.
What you learn from this material:
Nigella seed growing
Sowing Nigella. Propagated nigella damask only seeds. They can be sown directly into the ground in May or towards the winter to a depth of about 2 cm. The shoots of the plant are cold-resistant, but it is better to cover the crops first time. Seedlings are transplanted very poorly, so they need to be sown immediately to a permanent place.Nigella seedlings. Nigella seeds are sown on seedlings in March-April in a greenhouse at a depth of 2 cm. Shoots usually appear by the end of the second or third week.
Dive them in the developmental phase of a pair of true leaves in peat-humus pots to transplant seedlings into a flower bed directly when the time comes.
Nigella landing in open ground
When to plant nigella. Nigella seedlings are gaining momentum very quickly, and in May it will be possible to replant it in open ground.The place for nigella should be open and sunny, since in the shade the plant develops poorly. By the way, Nigella does not like neighborhood with ground cover plants, keep this in mind when choosing a plot and environment for her. Nigella prefers loose, dry, light but nutritious, calcareous or neutral soils. On acidic soils, as in the shade, the plant develops poorly.
How to plant nigella. Seedlings nigella directly in peat-humus pots planted at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other, the spacing between rows remain in 45-50 cm. With a closer planting neither lush flowering of nigella nor maturation of its seeds you can not achieve, and you do not care will have to thin out too thick thickets.
After planting the site watered. Soil mulching is not produced - Nigella Damascus reacts poorly to mulch. Nigella blooms from seed approximately 40-45 days after germination, and it blooms for about two months.
Nigella outdoor care
Since nigella does not like mulch, you will have to regularly weed and loosen the plot after watering. As for the frequency of watering, nigella painfully reacts both to excessive and insufficient moisture, so it is necessary to develop for her a special mode of irrigation.As for fertilizing, caution is needed in this matter, since it is very easy to overfeed nigella.
You can avoid this by planting seedlings or sowing seeds in the area where the precursors were fertilized with organic matter, and you can not worry about the first half of the growing season.
When Nigella damask blooms, feed it with potash-phosphorus fertilizer.
Nigella breeding
Nigella reproduces only generatively (by seeds), seedling and seedless, in spring or before winter. The seed propagation method is described in the previous section. Nigella's self-seeding is also one of the methods of seed reproduction. Other methods of breeding nigella in home gardening are not used.How and when to collect nigella seeds. Nigella seeds begin to pick up when they mature about two-thirds of the seed bolls, and this happens most often at the end of August or in September.
Stems with ripened boxes are cut, tied up in bunches and laid to dry in a dry room with good ventilation. From dried bolls, seeds are extracted very easily. Nigella seeds remain viable for about two years. You can immediately sow them in a flower bed before winter, and you can wait until spring.
Nigella diseases and pests
In cool rainy weather Nigella Damascus can become sick with powdery mildew. The treatment of the site with fungicides will help save it, and it is desirable to carry out 2-3 sessions of such treatment with an interval of a week or ten days.In the dry summer, if you neglect your duty to water the flowers, spider mites that feed on the plant sap leaves can strike nigella.
Spider mites are destroyed by insectoacaricides: Agravertin, Aktellik, Akarin, Kleschevit or Fitoverm. In general, the cultivation of nigella does not imply any particular difficulties with diseases or pests, since it is a fairly stable plant, especially since the spicy aroma of its seeds successfully repels insects.
Varieties Nigella Damask
There are many varieties of black Damascus. Consider the most popular ones:
- ✿ Nigella Damascus Cambridge Blue - nigella form with tender shoots up to 90 cm tall with blue semi-double flowers.
- ✿ Nigella Damascus Miss jekyll rose - form with straight, as arrows, shoots up to 50 cm in height with flowers of a dark red-pink color. The variety was bred specifically for florists who use it to compose flower arrangements, either dry or fresh.
- ✿ Nigella Damascus Persian jewels - variety mixture with flowers of white, blue, pink and mauve color.
- ✿ Nigella Damascus Dwarf Moody Blue - dwarf variety nigella up to 20 cm high with blue flowers.
Where to buy Nigella Damask
The Scientific and Production Association “Gardens of Russia” has been engaged for 30 years in introducing the latest achievements of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental plant breeding into the widespread practice of amateur gardening.
The association uses the most advanced technology, created a unique laboratory of microclonal propagation of plants.
The main task of the NGO “Gardens of Russia” is to provide gardeners with quality planting material of popular varieties of various garden plants and new products of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian Post.
We are waiting for you for shopping in the “Gardens of Russia”.
Like this article? Share with friends in social networks:
Planting and care for Nigella (in brief)
- Landing: sowing seeds in the ground - in May or under winter, sowing seeds for seedlings - in March-April, transplanting seedlings into the ground - in May.
- Bloom: from June to August-September.
- Lighting: bright sunlight.
- The soil: light, moderately wet lime soil.
- Watering: balanced: the plant suffers from both deficiency and excess moisture.
- Mulching: Not recommended.
- Top dressing: It is advisable to plant the plant on a plot that has been fertilized with organic matter under the previous crop, and then potash-phosphorus dressing is applied only during flowering.
- Reproduction: seeds.
- Pests: spider mites or aphids.
- Diseases: powdery mildew.
Nigella flower - description
Nigella-nipper is a grassy annual with branchy stems from 30 to 60 cm in height, pinnate and sometimes finger-cut laced alternate leaves, the upper of which rise above the flower like an openwork blanket. Chernushka flowers, large - up to 4 cm in diameter, bisexual, solitary, with five sepals, resembling petals, colored blue, white or yellow. In flowers terry sepals sepals are located in two, three or four rows. Black petals are transformed into nectaries. Chernushka fruit is an oblate or swollen capsule consisting of five leaflets containing dull, egg-shaped, black nigella seeds.
Caring for Nigella Damask
It is important not to overdo it with watering, as the plant reacts poorly both to excessive dryness and excessive moisture and dampness. Watering schedule must be strictly monitored.
With fertilizers and dressings in a hurry, too, should not be. This flower can grow on the already fertilized area before it. Only when the buds and the first flowers appear, it is desirable to add potassium and phosphorus, which support precisely the lush flowering of nigella.
Seed collection
At the end of the season (second half of August - beginning of September), two-thirds dried-up boxes are carefully removed from the stem. Then they need to be bundled and dried indoors. Seeds are easily extracted from dry boxes.
Fresh seeds are stored for at least two years. You can land them in the winter in the open ground. And you can wait for the spring period.
Pests and possible diseases
If too much rain falls or is too far from watering, powdery mildew (foam sporosis) may appear, which is eliminated by fungicides. You can also use a variety of biological products, but not chemical.
Unfortunately, this disease in recent years has become very often overcome by garden plants and represent a variety of microscopic fungal microorganisms.
The disease is spread by air, and is caused by insufficient watering. A white patina appears on the leaf plates, which is sometimes not very noticeable, especially in hot weather.
A good remedy is the shedding of nigella wood ash, as well as from folk remedies, serum from blue vitriol (1 tsp) and water (7 l) is recommended. In this disease, nitrogen fertilizers are excluded, which further provoke the development of the disease.
The spider mite is one of the few pests that annoys nigella. It is eliminated with the help of insecticides. and due to the strong aroma, other pests review this plant with a side.
If you follow all the fairly simple rules, you can grow very beautiful and spectacular damask nigella flowers in your flower garden. And since this plant is not very often found in flowerbeds in our area, then you will be able to surprise your guests with openwork bushes of airy and delicate nigella damask.
Description of Nigella and its varieties
Two continents are considered to be the birthplace of Chernushka at once - the southern part of Europe and Africa. It belongs to the famous buttercup family. About 20 species of this annual plant are known in nature, but only two of them are used in gardening - Damask and Spanish nigella.
Nigella is a herbaceous shrubby plant. Stems strongly branched, upright, up to 50 cm high. The leaves are gray-green or pale green in color, needle-like. Externally, nigella leaves are similar to sprigs of dill, the same openwork and torn. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, and converge upwards. Upper leaves rise above the flower, as if covering it. The flowers are white, blue, yellow or pink. Nigella flowers can have a terry or simple structure, and in shape they resemble asterisks. The size of the flowers is average, up to 4 cm. The fruits are a swollen or flattened box.
Nigella blooms 40 days after sowing seeds. The flowering period is about one and a half months. Not afraid of light frost.
The photo shows the most popular varieties of Nigella, which delight with its beauty.
Place Nigella in landscape design
Looking at the photo, you immediately realize that Nigella will become the spark that will light the garden and transform it. Designers use Nigella everywhere:
- in rockeries and “dry” gardens,
- on alpine hills in combination with petunias and perennials,
- as decorative borders,
- at work, flower beds and flower beds, both in single and mixed plantings.
The tenderness and lightness of the nigella flowers conquers the hearts of phytographs and designers. Independent planting nigella of different shades of the same color is very popular. So the flower looks self-sufficient, gently shimmering shades.
When creating a “rustic” style of landscape design, Nigella becomes simply indispensable. In this style, nigella becomes a perennial partner.
Cornflower, anemone, lobelia, verbena, and petunia can become neighbors of Nigella in a flowerbed.
Nigella retains its decorative effect even after it has blossomed. Dried stems with seed boxes are used for decoration of dry bouquets, and as an addition to the living.
Nigella application
Nigella value is not only in its decorative. The spicy aroma and sharp taste of the seeds of this plant are widely used in cooking. It is worth noting that long since nigella was grown primarily as a valuable spice, and only then as an ornamental plant. Nigella twigs are added to salads and soups. Pounded seeds are added to dough and sauces.
In folk medicine, Nigella is known for its tonic and anti-depressant properties. It helps to improve vision and memory. Nigella seeds are used as a diuretic, anthelmintic and choleretic agent. Recent studies by scientists have shown that Nigella is a powerful immunostimulant and antibiotic that exceeds many known antibacterial agents.
It would seem that nigella planting and care is extremely simple, but what result can be achieved. The versatility of this plant will not leave indifferent even the most zealous skeptic, and the flowers grown on its site will delight with the airy tenderness of the touching flowers.
