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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 planted last year's nasturtium seeds from last year's nasturtiums for the first time. I had bean plants nearby. Could cross contamination made them non-viable?
Hi Dana,
Actually, nasturtiums are a good companion plant for beans, as they deter bean beetles. So seed viability shouldn’t be an issue.
My nasturtiums are planted in a pot in a sunny spot. They are doing beautifully but not flowering. The leaves are huge. Should I cut out the larger leave to allow the smaller ones to grow and why are they not blooming?
It is normal for nasturtiums to go about a month before the flowers bloom, as well as for the leaves to be large. The flowers should be able to poke their way out from behind the leaves, especially if your plant is getting full sun. Nasturtiums tend to do well without much help, so we would recommend patience. If you want to encourage growth around the buds, you can prune lightly. Remember that nasturtium leaves are edible, so you can add what you take off to a salad! Good luck!
I heard these are god for keeping snails away, is this true?
Nasturtiums are said to be less likely to be eaten by snails and slugs in general. However, it appears that the brown garden snail, found in parts of California and a few other states, does attack it.
Are there any climbing varieties or is the trailing one the same variety? Is it too late to sow them?
Seedlings can be planted now. You can train nasturtium to climb up a lattice or have them cascade over a hanging basket. If you wish to create more flowers, pinch the runners from time to time.
We have planted from seed and have much greenery - all green leaves after 2 weeks but still no flowers. When should we expect to see color? Thank You
why am getting yellow foliage on my nasturtium plants? too much water or too rich soil?
