Guide to growing Mignonette - Reseda
Common names for Reseda include Weld and Mignonette.
Reseda lutea - Wild Mignonette by Rictor Norton & David Allen; Creative Commons.
Reseda phyteuma by Manuel M. Ramos; Creative Commons.
Quick Reseda Growing Guide and Facts
Common Names: Mignonette, Weld, Sweet Reseda, Dyer's Rocket.
Life Cycle: Hardy annual. Hardy biennial.
Height: 14 to 50 inches (40 to 130 cm).
Native: Mediterranean, Asia.
Growing Region: Zones 2 to 10.
Flowers: Summer until first frost.
Flower Details: Yellow, white, green, orange. Fragrant. Spikes.
Foliage: Rosette. Pinnate. Toothed
Sow Outside: Surface. Sow every three weeks from just before the last frost until the first month of summer. Spacing 6 to 16 inches (15 to 40 cm).
Sow Inside: Use peat pots. Germination time: one to three weeks in the light. Temperature 70°F (21°C). Seven or eight weeks before expected last frost. Transplant outdoors following the last frost.
Requirements: Partial shade. Soil pH 6 to 7.5 Rich soil. Pinch tips.
How to grow Mignonette
It is best to sow Mignonette successively for a long flowering season. The seeds should be sown from the start of spring until the first half of summer about 3 weeks apart. The Mignonette seeds should be sown on the surface. Ideally the plants should be grown in a partly shaded part of the garden that has a rich soil and a pH of 6 to 7. The spacing of Reseda species dependent, plant smaller varieties about 15 to 20cm apart, and larger Reseda members about 30cm apart.
You can also start Mignonette off indoors. They should take about one to three weeks to germinate, and require a temperature of 21 degrees centigrade and light.
Caring for Mignonette - Reseda
Once growing it is important to pinch back the tips of juvenile Mignonette plants as this will encourage branching and lead to more flowers.