How to grow Love In A Mist

Nigella damascena

Nigella is a short lived plant and probably won’t make through an entire growing season. For a continuous bloom, repeat sow every 4 weeks. Once your plants have begun to scatter seed, you won’t need to continue sowing.
Can be used as a cut flower

Nigella can be used in hanging baskets and window boxes.

Growing Love-in-a-mist from seed

Direct sow seeds outdoors in the fall, in an unheated greenhouse/coldframe in the winter, sow indoors before last frost in spring, or directly outdoors after the last frost in spring. Cannot be covered more than 1/8 ". Or just scatter seed on top of soil and press down lightly.

Aim to sow 0.08 inches (0.2 cm) deep and try to ensure a gap of at least 0.78 inches (2.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 12°C / 54°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Love-in-a-mist about 14 days before your last frost date .

Transplanting Love-in-a-mist

Nigella does not like being transplanted and does best if direct seeded outdoors. Seed can be sown from early spring, throughout the summer and even in fall, in climates with mild winters.

Nigella can also be grown as a summer flowering pot plant by sowing in a cool greenhouse or conservatory in late summer or early autumn. Grow on in cool conditions in full light watering sparingly

The long tap root developed by nigella makes it very difficult to transplant.1

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Love-in-a-mist is a hardy plant.

Harvesting Love-in-a-mist

Can be used as a cut flower

Seed pods can be harvested when they turn a golden color with burgundy stripes. Place the seed pods in paper bags and hang to dry. The pods should be divided into small portions in order to dry faster.

Seed Saving Love-in-a-mist

Easily self seeds once established. Seeds can be saved from ripening flower heads. Collect into a paper bag and dry on a warm windowsill.

Seed viability is five years.

How long does Love-in-a-mist take to grow?

These estimates for how long Love-in-a-mist takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Love-in-a-mist to germinate?
7 days

Average 7 days | Min 7 days | Max 45 days (9)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Love-in-a-mist?
+ 33 days

Average 33 days | Min 23 days | Max 65 days (2)

Days to Maturity How long until Love-in-a-mist is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ days

Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Love-in-a-mist?
= days

When should I plant Love-in-a-mist?

Our when to plant Love-in-a-mist estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow Love-in-a-mist before or after your last frost date.
14 days before Last Frost Date

Other names for Love-in-a-mist

Devil-in-the-bush, Nigella, Devil in a cave, Love-in-a-mist

Nigella damascena L.

Footnotes

1 https://hort.uwex.edu/articles/love-mist/


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