The black seed plant, also known as black cumin or Nigella sativa, is an easy-to-grow annual herb that produces tasty edible seeds with powerful medicinal properties. Growing this ancient healing food at home can provide a steady supply of nutritious seeds for culinary and natural health uses.
An Overview of Black Seed Plants
Black seed comes from a flowering plant belonging to the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It reaches 1-2 feet tall and has delicate lacy foliage. The blooms have 5-10 petals in shades of white yellow, blue, and purple. As the flowers fade, they produce textured seed capsules filled with dozens of tiny, oblong black seeds.
This plant grows well in hot, dry climates like the Middle East and parts of Asia and Africa, where it originated. It needs plenty of sun and well-drained soil. The small black seeds deliver a slightly bitter, pungent punch. They can be used whole or ground into oil, spice blends, bread, and more. These potent seeds provide antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.
Growing Black Seed from Seed
Black seed grows easily from seed sown directly in the garden after the last spring frost. For a head start, you can begin seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your frost-free date Follow these tips
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Start seeds indoors in seed starting mix. Sow 2-3 seeds per cell. Cover lightly with 1⁄4 inch soil.
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Keep seedlings warm (65-70°F) until sprouted, around 5-12 days. Thin to one plant per cell.
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Harden off seedlings for 7-10 days before transplanting them 12-18 inches apart after all frost danger has passed.
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Choose a site with full sun – at least 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
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Prepare soil well with compost. Black seed prefers light, sandy soil.
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Water young plants regularly until established. Then water deeply 1-2 times per week.
Growing from Cuttings for Faster Harvests
You can also propagate black seed from cuttings for faster harvests. Here’s how:
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Take 6-8 inch stem tip cuttings from an established plant in spring. Remove lower leaves.
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Dip the fresh cut end in rooting hormone powder to stimulate root growth.
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Stick cuttings 2-3 inches deep in sterile seed starting mix or vermiculite.
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Keep cuttings warm (65-70°F) until new growth emerges in 2-3 weeks.
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Transplant rooted cuttings into the garden 12-18 inches apart after hardening off for 7-10 days.
Caring for Black Seed Plants
Once established, black seed plants need:
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Full sun – at least 8 hours of direct sun daily
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Sandy, well-draining soil
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Moderate water – 1-2 inches per week
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Light monthly fertilizer like compost tea during growing season
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Deadheading spent flowers to encourage more seed production
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Monitoring for pests like aphids or diseases like powdery mildew
With proper care, black seed will readily self-seed, providing an ongoing harvest.
Harvesting Black Seeds
Watch seed heads turn yellowish and dry as seeds mature. To collect:
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Stop watering plants as seed heads start to mature so they fully dry.
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Snip off entire dried seed heads when hard and yellowish.
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Hang seed heads upside down indoors for 1-2 weeks. Place paper underneath to catch falling seeds.
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Gently rub heads to separate seeds from chaff when completely dry.
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Discard debris. Store dry seeds in sealed jars in a cool, dark place.
A 10-15 square foot patch can produce around 1⁄4 pound of seeds. With the right conditions, you can yield even bigger harvests from this hardy annual.
Enjoying Your Black Seed Bounty
Homegrown black seeds offer many ways to enhance your health and cooking:
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Add seeds to bread, muffin, cake, and cookie batters
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Sprinkle on yogurt, oatmeal, salads, pasta, rice, roasted veggies, etc.
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Grind into spice rubs and blends for meat, stews, curries
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Infuse in oil for homemade dressings, dips, spreads
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Brew into tea or add to smoothies, milk, coffee drinks
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Take straight by the spoonful as an immunity and digestion booster
With the proper planting, care, and harvesting, you can easily grow black seed and reap an abundant supply of these potent, flavorful seeds straight from your own garden.
Black seed as a daily health supplement
Most drugs work best when given the chance to perform their full function. Based on the essential nutritional components, as well as the specific medical content, the ‘body’s ability to maintain health and maintain a stable and natural balance is significantly enhanced through regular use of Black Seed.
The anatomy of the plant
The black seed is an annual herbaceous plant from the Ranunculaceae family, is indigenous to southern Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia, and is cultivated in many countries around the world such as India, Pakistan, Turkey, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia.
It is a common plant whose stalk grows from 20 to 90 cm. This plant has well-separated leaves and flowers usually white, yellow, pink, pale blue, or pale purple, with five–ten petals.
The flowers grow at the ends of the branches, while the leaves grow in pairs against each other on the other side of the stalk. When its flower dries, the Black Seed ripens. Black Seed is a plant that reproduces itself and forms a fruit capsule with three–seven fused follicles composed of many white seeds. When the fruit capsule is ripe, it opens and the seeds inside are exposed to the air, turning black. Seeds are angular, generally small, size (1–3 mm), and gray or dark black. The seeds have a slightly bitter and sour taste.
The use of black seed has its origins more than 2500 years ago. It is mentioned in the Greek medical literature, adding to the fact that it played an important role in ancient practices in the field of medicine applied even by the Egyptians themselves.
The black seed was discovered in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun leaving it to be understood that it played an important role in the ancient practices of Egypt.[17] The earliest past references to the Black Seed are found in the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament.[18] Easston’s Bible Dictionary explains that the Hebrew word “ketsah” undoubtedly refers to the plant Nigella sativa.
It is referred to as “Melanthion” by Hippocrates and Dioscorides[17] who have recorded that this seed has been used to treat headaches, flu, toothaches, and intestinal parasites. They have also been used as a urinary stimulant, stimulant, and milk supplement in breastfeeding mothers. The scientist Ibn Sina-AVICENA (980-1037), in his well-known book “The Encyclopedia of Medicine” (considered the most famous book in the history of medicine, is considered to have been used as the basic literature in medicine European until the seventeenth century) said: “Black seed acts as a means of extracting phlegm, stimulates bodily energy and helps in rehabilitation after fatigue and lethargy.”[18]
As narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said: “There is no disease for which Nigella seed does not provide remedy” and “in black seed there is healing for every disease,” then, “Use this black seed. For indeed it contains a cure for every disease.”[19]
Muslims all over the world have used historically and promoted the use of the Black Seed for hundreds of years, and a lot of articles have been written about it. However, many Muslims, today, do not know that Black Seed is not only a medicinal plant, but it also holds a special place in the medicine of the Prophet Muhammad. Although, many natural herbs and cures in the Qur’an and Prophet sayings are mentioned briefly leaving scholars to explore their benefits. The Black Seed is a unique relic that is said to have “a cure for all diseases except death” and is also said to “Abstain.” which means continuity. Its peculiarity is that it was not used extensively before the Prophet Muhammad and he made it very popular, and it is one of the few plants that is described in detail with recipes and instructions.
Although, there were more than 400 plants in use before the Prophet Muhammad recorded by Galen and Hipokrat. Black seed was not one of the most popular cures of the time. Due to the spread of Islam in various countries, the use and popularity of the Black Seed have spread and it is known worldwide as the “Medicine of the Muhammad Messenger.”
In fact, since it became popular in the seventh century, there has never been a period in Islamic history when its use was ever banned. All the while, the Black Seed has been used for healing but also with the belief in the benefits that will flow from the traditional practice of the Prophet Muhammad. In addition to the above sayings, there are records in the history books of the Prophet Muhammad that show that the Prophet Muhammad used the Black Seed with honey regularly.
Numerous studies have been done to identify the composition of Black Seed (Nigella sativa). Ingredients of Nigella sativa seeds include oils, proteins, carbohydrates, alkaloids, saponins, and essential oils.
Fixed oil [non-volatile] (32–40%) contains unsaturated fatty acids which include arachidonic acid, eicosadienoic, linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic, and myristic acid, as well as beta-sitosterol, cycloeucalenol, cycloartenol, sterols, esters, and sterol glucosides.[20]
Volatile oil (0.4–2.45%) contains saturated fatty acids, which include Nigellone (which is the only component of the carbonyl fraction), thymoquinone (TQ), thymohydroquinone (THQ), ditimoquinone, thymol, karva-krol, α and β-pinene, d-limonene, d-citronellol, and p-cimene and also contains t-anethole, 4-terpineol, and longifoline.[21]
Black Seed has two different forms of alkaloids: isoquinoline alkaloids which include nigellicimine, nigellici-mine n-oxide, and pyrazole alkaloids which include nigellidine and nigellicine.[22] Nutritional compositions of Black Seed are vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, fats, and proteins (containing eight or nine essential amino acids).
Black Seed also has saponin and alpha hederine of course not found in traces of lemons and citronellol, just as it should be possible with vitamins and minerals that are different such as Fe, Ca, K, Zn, P, and Cu.[23] The greatest pharmacological effects are due to the component of the substance quinone, of which thymoquinone (TQ) predominates.
It was found that thymoquinone possesses these activities:
- – anticonvulsant,[24]
- – antioxidant,[25]
- – anti-inflammatory,[26]
- – anti-carcinogen,[27]
- – antibacterial,[28] and
- – antifungal.[29]
How to Grow Black Seeds (Kalonji Plant) Nigella Sativa Black Cumin – Sprouting Seeds
FAQ
How to grow black seed at home?
To plant, simply sprinkle seeds on top of soil surface and scratch seeds in or gently use a rake to bury seeds slightly. Plants do not need to be accurately spaced but aim for 2-4″ between plants. No thinning is required.
How long does it take for black seeds to grow?
Black Cumin seeds typically take anywhere between 7 to 14 days to successfully germinate.
Where can you grow black seed?
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.
How long does it take to grow Nigella from seed?
For an informal cottage garden planting, broadcast seeds in a garden bed. Germination takes 10 to 14 days at a temperature between 60° and 65°F. Thin young seedlings to 4 to 5 inches apart before they get too crowded.