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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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I hope by now that you've had some growth on your plants. If they're only getting 2 hours of sunlight a day, that may be a problem. They require full sunlight to do their best. They're not shade lovers.
I have ants all over my nasturtium plant and am wondering if this is bad and need to do something about it? If so, what do I do?
Thank you!
Ants on nasturtiums usually mean that there are aphids attacking your plants. The aphids secrete a sugary liquid called honeydew, which the ants love. (Ants actually tend aphids, sort of like livestock.) To control the ants (which will fight off predators of the aphids), control the aphids. Check along the stems and under leaves for these soft-bodied insects, which come in all sorts of colors, depending on species. For control, please see this helpful video:
/video/aphids-pest-control-tips-how-protect-your-plants
And here is another article on aphids and their control:
/pest/aphids
Good luck!
Hi! I just planted a bunch of nasturtium seeds in my garden in Pennsylvania. I had mulch in that area, so I went on and put a little back over the seeds in the dirt. Can they germinate like that?
Hi I am wondering if you can grow these plants indoor? I am looking for an indoor flower plant that is edible?
:)
To be honest, we’ve never grown nasturtium indoors. However, it could probably work on a windowsill with a lot of sunlight. This means you’d probably need to grow during the summer months unless you were going to look into grow lights.
My nasturtium plant has a virus that's causing yellow mosaic on the leaves. It has had it since it was a small seedling. Now it is a bit bigger, but every leaf that grows has the yellow spots. Is there any remedy to get the plant healthy again? The only suggestions I see only are to get rid of the plant.
There are several mosaic viruses that can affect nasturtiums. Some are transmitted via sap-sucking insects, such as aphids, and can also be transmitted through non-sterile pruning tools, a touch of the hand, etc. A few are seed-borne. To prevent the spread of viruses, it is best to remove the affected plant; also clean up any debris, weeds, etc. in the area, as some viruses overwinter. Viruses spread throughout the whole plant, so unfortunately removing a section (such as mottled leaves) won’t eliminate the virus. Usually, for the home gardener, there is no cure once a plant has a virus; one can only prevent its spread by eliminating the affected plant, and then try to control the vectors (such as insects) that transmit the disease.
How much does a single nasturtium plant produce... in pounds, ounces, etc.?
My poor nasturtiums are really suffering in full sun here in South East Spain (zone 10) I reckon I'll be planting my next nasturtium seeds in the shade...
