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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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My nasturtium plant is wilting. I gave it water and sunlight and poorer soil quality,but i don't know what's wrong. When I transplant it to a bigger pot, I'm shocked by how thin and stubby its roots are. Any suggestions of what to do?
Hi, Nicole, Nasturtiums like heat鈥攈eat from the summer sun, which also means a lot of it (long days鈥 worth) and a high degree of warmth. Plus, nasturtiums do not like having their roots disturbed. So if you moved the plant into a new container, you jolted it (so to speak). It’s hard to know if it will recover.
For the record, if you planted them in advance of the coming outdoor season, you might be a little ahead of schedule. Have you got seeds you can start again? it’s best to start them a couple or a few weeks before moving them outdoors. If you plan to transplant them, start them in a peat pot so you can simply plant the entire thing, without disturbing the roots (again). Even if you want this as a potted plant, it might be best to try again later in season.
We hope this helps!
Hi,
I've seen that nasturtium do not often need fertilizer or very little if any, but I'm wondering what kind of fertilizer if used, would work best. Would a fertilizer high in nitrogen help or hurt nasturtium growth?
Katie, note above that nasturtiums are not particular or finicky about soil. They thrive in poor soil; if it’s too rich (composted, fertilized, etc.) . As noted above, fertile soil will produce fewer blooms. If you add nitrogen, you will get lots of leaves and few flowers.
Hi, which variety of nasturtiums would I plant around my veg plot to discourage bugs etc
Hi Jane,
Any cultivar will work to repel whiteflies, squash bugs, aphids, many beetles, and cabbage loopers. They all function the same way by releasing an airborne chemical that is unpleasant to certain insect pests. So simply choose the one you like best.
what do you do at end of flowering, just leave or cut back.
If you would like them to seed around, leave them be until spring. If not, you can cut them back once they start to peter out and look ratty.
I planted these in deck railing boxes all was doing beautiful until this week. One of the boxes has a black coffee like stuff on the flowers and leaves and stems. Do you know what it is? Only one planter box Nasturium plant has it. I have never seen anything like it.
Hi Aurelle,
That black material is likely aphid excrement! Luckily, it is not a fatal situation; with a little soapy warm water and some light rubbing, it washes right off.
