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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Nasturtium Flowers
The nasturtium is a cheerful flower that does it all! This annual adds a pop of color to the garden, fights insect pests, and is even edible. Pop one in your mouth! Here鈥檚 how to plant and grow nasturtiums (as well as some tasty ways to enjoy them after you harvest the flowers).
About Nasturtiums
These lovely plants, with their unique greenery and vibrant flowers, grow well in containers or as ground cover around vegetable gardens. In fact, they are often used as a trap crop in companion planting, drawing aphids and other garden pests away from the more valuable vegetables.
- Nasturtium is a friend of beans, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, kale, melon, pumpkin, and radish.
Pests aren鈥檛 the only thing nasturtiums attract, however. They are also a favorite of pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and their pretty fragrance makes them a good choice for cut-flower gardens, too.
Nasturtiums are grown as annual plants in most areas, though they may perennialize in frost-free zones.
Types of Nasturtiums
There are many varieties of nasturtiums, which are divided into two main types: trailing or climbing types (Tropaeolum majus) and bush types (T. minus). As their names suggest, the main difference between them is their growth habit, with trailing nasturtiums forming long vines and bush nasturtiums remaining more compact. (Bush types are also sometimes called 鈥渄warf鈥 nasturtiums.)
Trailing nasturtiums are a great choice for growing in a window box or hanging basket, as their vines will drape and climb beautifully. Bush nasturtiums are a better choice for smaller gardens where space is limited.
Nasturtiums as Edible Flowers
An important feature of all nasturtiums is their edibility! Nasturtiums鈥 leaves, flowers, and seedpods have a peppery, almost mustard-like taste, which makes them lovely as a salad garnish. The seedpods may also be pickled and used like capers.
Check out our video to learn more about the benefits of growing nasturtiums:
Planting
Plant nasturtiums in full sun (6+ hours of sunlight) for the best results. They will grow in partial shade (3鈥6 hours of sunlight), but won鈥檛 bloom as well.
Soil should be well-draining. Nasturtiums do well in poorer soils and do not typically need extra fertilizer (unless your soil is extremely poor). Too much nitrogen will encourage more foliage than flowers.
Be conscious of the growing habit of the type of nasturtium you鈥檙e growing. Plan to provide support for trailing types.
When to Plant Nasturtiums
Nasturtium seeds may be sown directly in the garden (recommended) or started indoors. Their fragile roots are sensitive to transplanting, so we prefer to sow them directly.
- Indoors: Start seeds 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date.
- Outdoors: Sow seeds 1 to 2 weeks after your last spring frost date. Soil temperatures should ideally be between 55掳 and 65掳F (12掳 and 18掳C). Plan to protect young seedlings from late frosts.
How to Plant Nasturtiums
- Sow the seeds about half an inch deep and 10 to 12 inches apart in the garden.
- Plants should appear in 7 to 10 days.
Pests/Diseases
- Aphids
- Caterpillars
- Flea beetles
- Slugs
- Whiteflies
Cooking Notes
Leaves, flowers, and immature seedpods are edible and make for a beautiful garnish on any summer meal! The seedpods may also be pickled.
Catherine Boeckmann
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1.Can I plant nasturtium in a raise bed with spinach, broccoli, cabbage, collard to use as a repel and if not, what can I use to protect them? 2.I planted them in organic compost and garden soil. Will that cause a problem?
Thanks in advance
1. Certainly, you can plant nasturtiums in your raised bed. You might try the dwarf or the 2- to 3-feet-long semi-trailing types rather than the full climbing types that can grow up to 10 feet long. Nasturtiums help to repel aphids and other pests.
2. Organic compost and garden soil may encourage more, and larger, leaves, perhaps at the expense of some blooms, but the plants should still do fine. (And the leaves, as well as the flowers, are edible.) Nasturtiums can tolerate several types of well-draining soil, but prefer poorer, sandy types--as long as it is not very poor, in which case they suffer.
I bought some seeds of different types for me and my son to grow. I am new to gardening and dont know alot. I planted the seed it different pots all of my seeds have sprouted except my nasturtium its been a week and a half should I get n ew seeds or give them more time
It takes about 10 to 12 days for nasturtium seeds to germinate.
Can you start a nasturtium plant from a cutting? If so, should it be rooted in water or soil?
Place cuttings in moist medium such as perlite or clean sand. Keep it moist. Roots should form in about two to three weeks. Then put your rooted cutting right into the garden and keep it moist or put it in a pot and use standard potting mix.
Mine I started in the house in a hanging basket and all 8 are laying over. Very light color to the leaf
I planted a pair of large pots outdoors with Nasturtium seeds on the 18th of March: 10 in. spacing, 1 in. depth(+/-). It's now the 3rd of April and no sign of germination. Should I worry?
I live in Sydney Australia and my Nasturtiums are developing well except an insect is creating fine trials on the upper surfaces of the leaves. Does anyone know what it could be and how I could sop the problem?
I have found if you use,some powdered garlic from the herb section in your supermarket and mix two tsp in a,spray bottle of water and spray the plant it deters most bugs and mites. Certainly works on.tomato plants and it is safe. Give it a try.
