Growing Nasturtiums

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Growing nasturtiums gives you beauty, draws pollinators, are even attract some garden pests away from your vegetable plants in the garden. It’s a great crop for your garden. For more beginning gardening information, check this out.

Nasturtiums are easy to grow and smell amazing. They grow well in containers, poor soils, and don’t require full sun. In the south, they will burn up when summers get hot.

There are many varieties of nasturtium. Their seeds can be hard to germinate, so you can soak them for 24 hours before you plant them for better results.

Nasturtiums make a great flower for a children’s garden because they grow easily and super-fast. They make a beautiful cut flower.

How to grow nasturtiums

Plant nasturtium seeds in early spring. They need well-drained soil and at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. The more sun they receive, the more they will bloom.

Plant seeds half an inch deep spacing them 10-12 inches apart. They should germinate in 7-10 days.

Water regularly, about one inch of water once a week throughout the season.

They can also be sown indoors 4-6 weeks before the last average frost date and transplanted outside after danger of frost has passed.

Where to plant nasturtium in the vegetable garden

Hummingbirds and pollinators love nasturtiums because of their gorgeous bright colors. They grow in vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. Growing nasturtiums, sunflowers, and zinnias are some of my favorite things to do in the garden.

They come in two types, climbing or vining and a bush type. The vining variety makes a beautiful spiller for container plants, especially hanging baskets. They also make a great ground cover to shade out weeds under tall plants such as corn.

Nasturtium flowers can be single or double blooms

The plants grow in a large mound, with pretty round leaves that grow singularly on individual stems. They draw aphids away from other garden plants, so they make a great trap plant to protect your tender vegetables.

Eating nasturtium

Nasturtiums flowers and leaves are edible. They have a delicate, peppery flavor similar to arugula. They make a wonderful addition to green salads. The smaller leaves are more tender and flavorful than the larger ones.

For a fun idea check out how to grow your own salad garden here.

Harvest the flowers and leaves early in the morning before the heat of the day for the best flavor.

Growing nasturtiums is such a great project and has so many benefits for the grower. I hope you will try your hand at it too.