QIS® Black Purple is a prolific bloomer that performs beautifully in the garden and as a cut flower. It also dries well, making it suitable for fresh arrangements, dried bouquets, and wildlife-friendly planting schemes. Bees and butterflies are especially attracted to its nectar-rich blooms.
Key Features:
- Deep, velvety black-purple blooms with pincushion form
- Long, straight stems – perfect for cutting and floral design
- Fast-growing annual – blooms approx. 75–80 days from sowing
- Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
- QIS® = “Quality in Seed” – uniform, professional-grade variety
- Height: 80–90 cm
- Uses: cut flowers, dried flowers, cottage gardens, pollinator habitats
Sowing Instructions:
Sowing Indoors (Recommended):
- Timing: March–April (or Sept–Oct for overwintering)
- Depth: Sow 3 mm deep in trays or pots with moist, well-drained seed compost
- Germination: 7–10 days at 15–20°C
- Transplanting: Pot on into 8 cm pots once large enough to handle
- Acclimatisation: Harden off seedlings for 10–15 days before planting outside
- Plant spacing: 30–40 cm apart
- Flowering period: June to October
- Sowing Outdoors:
- Timing: From May (once frost risk has passed)
- Method: Sow directly in finely raked soil, 3 mm deep in rows 30 cm apart
- Thinning: Thin to 30 cm once seedlings are established
- Note: Thin gently and replant thinned seedlings elsewhere if desired
Autumn Sowing (Cold Frame Method):
- Sow in September/October in trays or pots and place in a cold frame for overwintering
- Transplant the following spring for earlier flowering
Growing Instructions:
- Prefers full sun and well-drained soil
- Water moderately; avoid waterlogging
- No need to pinch out tops
- Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering
- Avoid heavy feeding – too much nitrogen can reduce blooming
- Allow some seedheads to mature if you want natural self-seeding
Cut Flower & Vase Life Tips:
- Harvest stage: When buds are just starting to open or showing colour
- Vase life: 7 to 10 days
- Tips: Cut in the morning, place stems in warm water immediately
- Drying: Wait until leaves drop, then hang upside down in small bunches
Ideal For:
- Cottage and informal gardens
- Cut flower production
- Floral arranging
- Borders and pollinator-friendly plantings
