Growing nigella seeds

Once you see Nigella in bloom, you will always recognize it by its unique mist of airy bracts and foliage. The foliage is ferny, the flowers are fluffy and the seed pods are intriguing. Best known for the vivid blue blossom variety, Nigella also blooms in purples, pinks and white.

Nigella is one flower that went out of fashion but has recently made a dramatic comeback to favor, that is because of the great impact that it has on our health, it was used in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia to improve kidney and liver function, promote intestinal health, and enhance immune system function.
Unlike other seeds like cannabis nigella is very easy to grow and it’s one of the prettiest of all annuals for the garden in late summer, with its very finely divided feathery leaves. Its article we will see how you can grow both of these plant.

Growing nigella seeds
Sowing: Sow in spring through summer and in autumn.
For continuous seed production it is best to sow Nigella sativa seeds successionally. Sow once a month from just before the last frost of spring until late summer, and then once again towards the end of autumn for earlier crops in spring, this will result in a prolonged blooming period.

Nigella seeds can be sown indoors early in the year for transplanting to the garden once temperatures rise in spring. They can be sown directly where they are to grow in spring through to autumn.
Ideally Nigella should be grown in a sunny part of the garden that has good drainage. They prefer well drained soil enriched with manure or compost ahead of planting, but will grow in most sites and soils and can be grown on light sandy soils.

Sowing Indoors:
As a Hardy Annual, Nigella can be sown in autumn, August to September or in late winter, February to March for an earlier flowering next year. Sow either directly as below in mild or sheltered areas or, for overwintering sow in pots.
Use small pots containing moist seed compost and cover with a very fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged. Overwinter plants in cool, light, frost-free conditions before planting out about 20cm (8in) apart the following spring.

Sowing Direct:
Prepare the ground well and rake to a fine tilth before sowing. Mark the sowing areas with a ring of light coloured sand and label if sowing more than one variety in the same bed. Sow thinly, once temperatures reach around 15°C (60°F).
Seeds germinate in 10 to 14 days. The seedlings will appear in rows 6 to 8 weeks after planting and can be told from nearby weed seedlings quite easily. Thin the seedlings out so they are finally 20cm (8in) apart. Compost should be kept slightly moist, but not wet at all times.
Sow from spring through to late summer. An autumn sowing can also be made in sheltered areas for earlier flowers the following year. Planted it in the autumn it will send down a taproot and form a rosette of feathery leaves during the winter. As temperatures warm up in spring, flower stalks shoot up.

Requirements:
Full sunlight. Good drainage. Soil pH 6 to 7. Average soil. Can survive in dry soils. Regular feed. Regular watering during prolonged dry periods. Deadhead.

Growing cannabis seeds

Soil
Regardless of where you’re growing outside, a good soil is imperative. But, not every kind of dirt will be ideal for growing your marijuana. It’s always a good idea to test the ground soil that you’re planning to grow in prior to actually using it. This is to ensure that it won’t be too alkaline or acidic when the plants start extending their roots even farther into the ground. If the pH test shifts too far in either direction, then you might want to consider a new location, or infuse the soil with some nutrients and fertilizers.

Sowing the Seeds
Many growers like to start out their seeds with rows that are fashioned into the soil. You don’t really need to bury the seeds that deep into the soil. In fact, some growers have been known to just scatter their seeds on top of the soil to get them to germinate. This random seeding is called broadcast seeding. Maybe a more effective way to get the plants sown is by using hills or mounds. You essentially sow the seeds on the tops of small mounds in the soil. This certainly gives you the freedom to plant outdoors even when the soil is somewhat wet. This is because the water is naturally going to drain off the mound so that the seed (and, later, the plant) won’t be inundated. In either the hill or row option, try to ensurethat the seeds have some adequate soil coverage so that they can stay moist.

Germination
Just like with indoor germination, outdoor seeds require moisture to germinate properly. Adding too much water can be detrimental, but as long as the seeds are relatively encompassed by some slight moisture, they should start to germinate. Of course, this is easier if you built mounds or rows for the seeds to really maintain moisture.

Weeding
As your plants start to germinate, it’s important to keep the area free from weeds. Avoid using any weed killers like Round-Up that might also affect your marijuana plants. It should be noted that weeds will end up taking a lot of the water and nutrients meant for your plants if you don’t stamp them out quickly. But, the best way to get rid of weeds is simply by pulling them by hand. Trying to kill them with any chemicals will only be bad for the plants that you want to grow to be nice and strong. Obviously, before planting in an area, you should pull out any weeds that happen to be there.

Light
The benefit of being in the great outdoors is that you don’t really need to worry about light too much. The sun will provide all the light a plant could need and much more. There is no way to duplicate the sun’s intensity and it’s just a better light source than anything you could produce artificially.

Pests, Predators, and other Problems
You might expect plants that are grown outdoors to fare much worse than plants grown indoors when it comes to pests. That’s true but because the ecosystem is often self-regulating, there are many tricks to get rid of unwelcome visitors. For instance, even if a few bugs start munching on the leaves of your cannabis plants, it’s likely that they will be held in check by any of their natural predators. Spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, and mealy bugs are all common pests that many growers have to deal with both inside and out. The plants are in the most danger when they are young and not well-developed. A single meal for a group of mites when the plant is a seedling could cause some irreparable damage to the plant.

References
http://www.seedaholic.com/
The Marijuana grow bible a book by : ROBERT BERGMAN