Nigella Damascus is very popular among gardeners. After all, this plant you will find many options for use: in landscape design, cooking, perfume and even traditional medicine. But if you want to grow a flower, then it is important to understand the conditions in which an annual plant can blossom, and how to organize these conditions.
Short description
Nigella damask, or Chernushka damask refers to annual plants of the genus Chernushka. The flower has a straight stem without pubescence, reaching 40-60 centimeters in length.
A distinctive feature is its green-purple color. The leaves of Chernushka damask pinniped. The flowers of the plant are more often solitary, but there are also complex inflorescences, which are formed by lateral shoots.
They bloom in May and bloom until August, and the color of the petals can be light blue or blue. Nigella flowers are large - up to 4 centimeters in diameter. 
The fruits of the plant are many leaves ripening in August. The seeds of Chernushka damask are similar in appearance to onion, but their taste is different spicy, and the smell is reminiscent of strawberries.
Nigella Damascus grows in a warm, arid climate (North Africa, Levant, Transcaucasia and South Europe). The homeland of the plant is considered to be the Middle East.
Did you know? Seeds of any type of nigella can be used to store clothes. Their smell scares away the mole.
Location selection
Nigella Damascus prefers open sunny places. In partial shade or shade the flower develops poorly. Chernushka grows on light, loose soil. It must be nutritious so that the plant can withstand dry weather without any problems.
Acidity affects the flower badly, so it is better to choose a neutral soil. Also consider the permeability of the soil. Nigella does not tolerate excessive moisture. It is undesirable to plant an annual plant on windy areas, as the flowers are quite fragile. 
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Nigella damask breeds only seeds. So that the bloom does not start late, and half of the flowers do not perish during unexpected frosts, they recommend planting seedlings.
Timing
Sowing seeds for seedlings begin in late March, when the weather is warm. In some regions, the process begins in the first half of April.
The seedlings are sown only in spring. Autumn flowers can not be planted in open ground. And in the greenhouses nigella can not bloom because of the high humidity. 
Conditions and care
Chernushka planted in a greenhouse. The depth of the grooves is 2-3 cm. The flower is fast-growing, so the first shoots may appear in 10 days. In this case, the greenhouse is opened and watered with a small amount of water.
This should be done carefully, so that in the future Nigella of Damascus will not die out. Watch and temperature conditions, it should not be below + 22 ° C.
Florists also recommend planting seeds in peat tablets. They will reduce the amount of work on transplanting seedlings. In addition, the fragile root system will not be injured when transplanting an annual plant.
The undoubted advantage is that the pots will begin to decompose, providing the soil with peat.
Transplanting seedlings to the site
The advantage of seedlings is the ability to control planting density. But do not forget that after transplantation into open ground, Nigella damask will bloom only in 40-45 days.
Timing
Transplanting seedlings on the plot begins in early May or when the seedlings reached 7-10 cm in length. It is at this time that the seedlings will have several leaves on the stem, and the roots will harden. 
Landing is carried out in sunny and windless weather. A week before planting, there should be no rain, otherwise the soil will not have time to dry completely, and the acidity level will be too high for the plant.
Scheme
Each seedling is dug out of a greenhouse and transplanted with a landball. Pits for planting should be small, you can focus on the size of the land clod with the plant.
It is recommended to add a small amount of mineral fertilizers to the pit if your soil is not enriched with nutrients. After pouring a hole in the ground with a planted flower, pour it with a small amount of water.
If you plant seedlings in peat pots, the pit is dug in accordance with the height of the tank.
For any type of transplanting seedlings, keep an interval between rows of 40-45 cm. The distance between seedlings is no more than 20 cm. 
Sowing seeds directly in open ground
Nigella Damascus can be grown in the open field, and planting seeds and caring for seedlings will take less time than preparing seedlings. Florists recommend sowing nigella in open ground, as seedlings do not always take root.
Important! Nigella Damascus will not grow next to ground cover plants.
Timing
Since nigella can only be grown from seeds, it is necessary to know how and when it is possible to plant seeds in open ground. Damascus Chernushka sown in spring or autumn.
In the spring, this process takes place in March or April, in the autumn - before the first frost, so that the seeds have time to take root in the ground. If you decide to plant a flower before winter, then in early spring cover the first shoots with a film so that nigella does not freeze.
It is important to put Chernushka in warm and dry weather and know for sure that the temperature will not go down at least in the next week. It is necessary to sow flower seeds in spring no later than May, since the first shoots may appear late (this is influenced by climatic conditions). In autumn it is necessary to take into account rains, which should not be also in the first week after planting. Otherwise, the earth will oxidize and the annual will not take root.
Scheme
There is 1 gram of seeds per square meter. Before planting it is important to thoroughly loosen the soil. Seeds are sown evenly to a depth of 2–3 cm. Sowing should be done not too dense, as the Damask nigella grows heavily.
After the process, tamp the soil and pour a little water. Between rows keep a distance of 40-45 cm.
Application in landscape design
Chernushka Damascus, unlike other species, is mainly used as an ornamental plant. Therefore, it is often grown to decorate bouquets, as well as flower beds. Annual looks good on alpine slides, rockeries and "dry gardens".
It is possible to combine several other decorative types of Chernushka due to different colors of petals. For example, Chernushka whole-leaf harmoniously in a flower bed with a Damascus chernushka thanks to its pink inflorescences.
Can be planted along fences or hedges, as well as paired with wildflowers. Single landing is not recommended. 
Did you know? The Swiss call nigella damask "spider flower", emphasizing the similarity with the insect.
Care Tips
Chernushka Damascus is not a capricious plant, so it does not require careful maintenance. It all depends on the correctly chosen planting place and the nutritional value of the soil on which the flower grows.
Watering, weeding and loosening
Annual blooms well at high summer temperatures. At the same time, abundant watering is needed every two weeks. But additional irrigations are possible when the soil dries.
Loosening the soil is not recommended because the root system is not deeply located. Weeding depends on the frequency of weeds, if, of course, they occur at all. But for the normal development of an annual plant, it is enough to weed the land before planting. Do it manually.
Top dressing
Fertilizers in the care of Nigella play a particularly important role. Too high content of various nutrients in the soil can lead to the death of the flower, and the lack of impact on the timing of flowering and seed quality.
It is recommended to apply potassium phosphate fertilizer when the first inflorescences begin to bloom. 
Diseases and pests: how to fight
Nigella Damascus is considered resistant to diseases and pests. However, with frequent rains or excessive watering, it can be affected by powdery mildew. Spraying with fungicides will help fight it.
If you do not want to use chemicals, then use biological products that can be watered.
One of the many pests that affects nigella is the spider mite. To eliminate it, use insecticides (Fitoverm, Aktara, Vertimek, Neoron, Akarin). But the rest of the pests flower scares off its spicy smell.
Collecting and storing seeds
Seed collection can begin in September, when the inflorescences have completed flowering, and the fruits have formed seeds. It is enough to cut off the ripe boxes with a stalk and collect all the material in a bundle.
Drying the plant takes place in a dark, cool place that is well ventilated. When the boxes are completely dry, it is easy to separate the seeds. You can store them in cotton fabric or wooden box up to two years. After the expiration of the seeds lose their germination. 
Important! Sift the seeds through a sieve to remove excess trash.
There are the following uses for the collected seeds:
- sow immediately to the ground;
- used as a spice, carefully grinding them;
- make butter.
Nigella Damascus will be a great decoration for your site. In addition, you can change the location of the flower from year to year, because the nipper is an annual. The main rule on the content is the correct selection of the landing site. It must be sunny.
