Nasturtium is an easy plant to grow that adds a touch of beauty to your garden. In addition to adding a nice pop of color, nasturtium has edible leaves, seeds and flowers, characterized by a pleasantly peppery flavor and rich in vitamin C.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Plant the Nasturtium
Step 1. Choose the right nasturtium variety for your garden
The choice depends on what you expect from this plant, but also on the space you have available:
- Tropaeolum majus is a very strong climbing variety, perfect in larger spaces and found in most gardens. The flowers range from shades of orange to yellow and red and grow throughout the summer. It is an ideal plant for covering a trellis or fence.
- Dwarf nasturtium is a variety that grows in the form of small bushes, preferable for smaller gardens. It has flowers of various shades and is easy to grow when growing in a garden.
- The "Peach Melba" variety produces yellow flowers with the central part tending to red and orange, often used in salads.
- The "Salmon Baby" variety comes with flowers with rather unique shades, ranging from pink to orange: a riot of colors for your garden.
Step 2. Consider sowing indoors
Usually the nasturtium cultivation starts indoors, so that it can start flowering as soon as possible in spring, as soon as the last cold is over. If you plan to sow it indoors, plan to grow it in four to six weeks before the last expected cold in spring. To plant seeds indoors:
- Plant each seed in a pot filled with peat, which you can transplant directly into the soil to avoid damaging the roots. Use a special substrate for planting in place of potting soil.
- Place the seeds on a sunlit window sill and keep the peat moist.
- Plant the seedlings after the last chills of spring have passed.
Step 3. Choose a good place for growing
Nasturtium prefers full sun, but must be protected from the midday summer heat. Since it does not require special care, it is excellent in empty spots or in bare and unloved areas of the garden.
- It is not important to grow nasturtium in pots: it blooms profusely both in pots and in the ground.
- Growing it on hanging baskets is also a great solution.
Step 4. Prepare the ground
The nasturtium prefers a well-ventilated and drained soil, capable of retaining humidity. The soil doesn't have to be rich, so don't use fertilizers, or the plant will concentrate on producing leaves rather than flowers. Avoid any area where the soil is heavy and clayey.
Step 5. Sow directly or transplant seedlings after the last frost
If you prefer to sow directly, plant the seeds 25cm apart and about 1cm deep. If you transplant seedlings, keep them in their peat container and plant them directly into the soil. This way, you will avoid root damage. Don't forget to keep the bed evenly moist.
- You can hack the seeds or soak them in lukewarm water overnight to make them germinate more quickly.
- If sown directly, they should germinate in seven to ten days.
Part 2 of 3: Caring for the Nasturtium
Step 1. Only water the soil when it is dry
There is an old English saying that says: "You have to be mean with nasturtiums". They are plants that prefer poor soils and do not like too much water, in fact, using fertilizers and watering them frequently, you risk making them die. That said, the nasturtium needs water when the soil dries up. Therefore, it is necessary to water it carefully a couple of times a week.
- Press your finger into the soil to see if it's time to administer water. If the ground looks dusty and dry, give it to him. If it feels damp just below the surface, wait a day or two.
- Water around the roots, rather than from above. Water in the morning so that the plants are completely dry before the evening. Going towards sunset, there is a risk that too much humidity will produce mold on the plants.
Step 2. Carefully remove weeds
Nasturtium looks rather like a weed before it begins to bloom. Therefore, you may want to label where you planted it to avoid accidentally tearing it. Once you are sure of the difference between seedling and weed, keep the bed free of weeds so the nasturtiums don't have to compete for water and nutrients.
Step 3. Eliminate aphids and other pests
The nasturtium is very prone to attack by aphids, beetles and other more common parasites. Eliminate these insects one by one: the most environmentally friendly solution is to throw them in a bucket of soapy water. You can also spray the flowers with water or scrub them gently with soap and water to discourage pest incursion.
Step 4. Remove dead or withered flowers
This way, you will encourage the growth of new and healthier buds. Remove wilted flowers frequently so that plants continue to bloom as much as possible throughout the summer.
Part 3 of 3: Collect and Use the Nasturtium
Step 1. Collect the flowers and leaves during the growing season
Both the flowers and the leaves of the nasturtium are edible. Use a pair of scissors to cut the one you need, being careful not to strip the plant. Nasturtium has a strong flavor, so a pinch is enough to enrich your dishes.
Step 2. Use nasturtium to dress salads and side dishes
The petals and leaves have a strong peppery flavor that goes wonderfully with all types of dishes. Try putting it in the following dishes:
- Add the leaves and petals to the mixed salad. To balance the peppery flavor of nasturtium, pair it with sweeter vegetables, such as spinach.
- Mix the chopped leaves or petals with potatoes or in an egg salad.
- Add the leaves or petals to vegetarian sandwiches.
- Use whole flowers to garnish salads, pastas, and even some desserts like cupcakes.
Step 3. Save the seeds for the next year
Towards the end of the growing season, nasturtiums produce seeds which, when ripe, drop off. Clean them with a brush and store them in a paper bag, stored in a cool, dark place during the winter. In the spring, you can plant them again in the garden.
Advice
- Nasturtium is a plant native to South America, specifically Peru, Colombia and Bolivia.
- Although it is an annual plant, if the climate is consistently warm, the tropaeolum majus variety can survive for several years. It will also self-reproduce.
- Other species are the tropaeolum speciosum (a climber with scarlet flowers, suitable in cooler summer climates), the tropaeolum azureum (rare, with blue flowers) and the tropaeolum tuberosum (with canary yellow flowers, ideal in rock gardens).
