Germination temperature
About 21 °C (70 °F).
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Mignonette is a modest-looking annual grown for its sweet, honey-like fragrance. It germinates in 5-10 days on the surface of the soil, but it dislikes root disturbance, so sow it where it will flower or in cells.
About 21 °C (70 °F).
On the surface; press in, do not cover.
About 5-10 days.
Light required: leave the seed uncovered.
None needed.
Direct sow where it is to flower; if starting indoors, use plug trays.
The seed is very small. Mix it with a little dry sand to scatter it thinly, or place a pinch of seeds in each cell of a plug tray.
Not needed.
Not needed. Mignonette is sown in spring or autumn without any cold treatment.
Not needed. Wet seed this small clumps together and is hard to sow evenly.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks seed-starting chart gives 21 °C (70 °F). Mignonette prefers mild weather, so outdoors sow it in the cooler part of the year rather than in peak heat.
Sow on the surface and press the seed firmly into fine, moist soil. At most, add a very fine dusting of sieved compost or vermiculite that still lets light through.
Moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is neutral to alkaline (RHS). On acidic soil, a little garden lime before sowing helps.
Keep the surface constantly moist with a fine spray or by watering from below. Uncovered seed dries out fast.
The Alaska chart lists mignonette as needing light to germinate, so do not bury the seed. Some seed packets suggest a light covering; if you cover, keep it to a thin dusting.
About 5-10 days at around 21 °C (70 °F).
The RHS advises sowing mignonette directly where it is to grow. Thin crowded seedlings by pinching out the extras at soil level rather than lifting and moving them, so each remaining plant has room to bush out.
If you start seed indoors, sow in plug trays (as in the Alaska trials) and plant out the whole plug without breaking up the roots. Bare-root seedlings often sulk or collapse after transplanting.
Plants stay low, about 10-50 cm (4-20 in) tall and wide. Water regularly in dry spells while they establish; no pinching is needed.
Cause: seed buried too deep or allowed to dry out. Fix: resow on the surface, press in firmly and keep the surface moist until sprouting.
Cause: root disturbance. Fix: sow directly, or grow in plugs and plant out without disturbing the root ball.
Cause: hot weather or acidic, poor soil. Fix: sow in the cool season, add lime to acidic soil, and give afternoon shade in hot climates.
Cause: plants putting energy into seed. Fix: deadhead faded spikes and sow a second batch a few weeks later.
In the Indian plains, sow mignonette after the monsoon for flowers in the cooler winter months; it declines in hot weather. In the hills or temperate climates, sow in spring, or in autumn with protection from frost.
The pale yellow-green flowers with reddish stamens are small, but their fragrance is strong. Grow it in pots or edging near paths, windows and seating.
Mignonette grows in full sun or partial shade (RHS); in hot regions, light afternoon shade keeps plants fresher for longer.
Remove faded flower spikes to prolong flowering and cut plants back after their main flush (RHS). Sowing small batches a few weeks apart gives a longer season.
Sow mignonette near a window or path for its old-fashioned, honey-sweet fragrance.
Yes. Sow them on the surface and press them in rather than burying them. Keep them moist at about 21 °C and they should sprout in 5-10 days.
It dislikes root disturbance, so direct sowing is best. If you start it indoors, use plug trays and plant out the whole plug without breaking the roots.
The scent is strongest on healthy plants in mild weather and in still air. Heat stress, poor soil and planting in a windy spot all reduce the fragrance you notice.
In the plains, sow in the cooler months after the monsoon for winter flowers. In the hills, sow in spring.