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When to plant nasturtiums seeds


for a show of hot colors |

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If you want to bring their bold fire colors to your backyard, you’ll be wondering when to plant nasturtium seeds – or the bedding plants you could alternatively select. 

Growing nasturtiums (Tropaeolum) is easy, and from mid-summer into fall, they brighten the yard. The annual forms have spurred flowers in hot shades of gold, orange, or red, amongst green leaves that resemble tiny waterlily pads. The word nasturtium comes from the Latin nasus tortus, which means twisted nose, because the whole plant has a strong (but not unpleasant) aroma that sometimes makes your nostrils sting and tingle. 

Here, we’ve got the details you need about the optimum times for sowing and planting nasturtiums to enjoy their fabulous form and color. 

(Image credit: Alamy)

When to plant nasturtium seeds

The answer to the question of when to plant nasturtium seeds is that the optimum time depends on the type of nasturtium you want to grow. Annuals can be sown in spring or early summer or planted as ready-grown bedding in early summer. While the perennial forms are best planted during their dormant period in fall or winter. 

Since annual nasturtium seeds are big and easy to grow, they are a great choice for flower bed ideas when you want to get kids involved. And many varieties scramble and trail, creating cascades of orange and green that can be grown to clad obelisks or wigwams or tumble out of hanging baskets.

There are larger perennial nasturtiums available as well – such as the stunning scarlet T. speciosum (flame nasturtium) from Chile – and many of these also climb and trail, forming fiery waterfalls of flowers in summer and fall. 

When to sow annual nasturtium seeds

In most areas, annual nasturtiums can be sown direct into soil outside in late spring. 

‘Sow nasturtiums outside around the time of the last frost,’ advises Catherine Kaczor of Hudson Valley Seed Co , based in the northeast.  

If you live in a mild climate, nasturtiums could be sown direct in early spring. But for those of us in cooler areas, it’s safest to sow nasturtiums under cover in March or April – for example, in a greenhouse or on a bright windowsill – if we want to give them an early start. 

Once the weather warms in your area, nasturtiums can be sown straight into the soil outside – they flower into fall, so sowing in early summer is fine. ‘Sow nasturtiums indoors in March or April and plant out after last frosts, or sow direct between May and July,’ suggests UK supplier Sarah Raven . 

Anyone who has slugs or rabbits in their backyard is strongly advised to start nasturtiums off under cover – otherwise, the emerging seedlings might be nibbled.

When to plant annual nasturtiums

As to when to plant nasturtiums if you buy them as ready-grown bedding plants? It is probably the easiest way to grow them, and they are widely available in nurseries in early summer and usually inexpensive.  

Plant them outside in May or June in well-drained soil in sun. They like moist soil, but don’t over-water them or they won’t flower as well; and there is no need to feed them. 

They can be grown as ground cover bedding to fill gaps in borders. The more impressive varieties – such as ‘Indian Chief’, which has blazing red flowers and dark blue-green leaves – are wonderful in hanging baskets. 

Alternatively, since annual nasturtiums are edible, they can be used to liven up vegetable garden ideas, perhaps coaxing them up wigwams of hazel or birch sticks. The colorful flowers have a peppery taste and look beautiful added to summer salads. 

When to plant perennial nasturtiums

Perennial nasturtiums are tuberous plants that are often only available to buy and plant during their dormant period in fall, winter, or early spring. This helps them to establish and is more reliable than attempting to raise them from seed. 

Both orange T. tuberosum var. lineomaculatum ‘Ken Aslet’ and red T. speciosum (flame nasturtium) have a trailing habit, making them ideal for cladding a fence or a shrub that you don’t mind concealing. T. speciosum is particularly stunning, forming a cascade of vivid vermillion-red, and performs best in cool, moist climates (such as Scotland).

T. polyphyllum (yellow lark’s heels) is a very different perennial nasturtium that has lovely glaucous foliage and golden flowers. Only reaching 6in (15cm) high, but spreading to 4 to 5ft (1 to 1.5m), it is ideal at the front of a gravel border or the top of a wall. 

What month do nasturtiums flower?

Nasturtiums flower from mid summer to fall until the frosts begin and make a spectacular display because of the masses of bold colored blooms.

How long does it take nasturtium seeds to sprout?

It takes up to two weeks for nasturtium seeds to sprout, although it can be quicker. When sowed direct, the seeds sprout best when soil is warm.

Rachel is senior content editor, and writes and commissions gardening content for homesandgardens. com, Homes & Gardens magazine, and its sister titles Period Living Magazine and Country Homes & Interiors. She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on gardening, historic houses and arts and crafts, but started out her journalism career in BBC radio, where she enjoyed reporting on and writing programme scripts for all manner of stories. Rachel then moved into regional lifestyle magazines, where the topics she wrote about, and people she interviewed, were as varied and eclectic as they were on radio. Always harboring a passion for homes and gardens, she jumped at the opportunity to work on The English Home and The English Garden magazines for a number of years, before joining the Period Living team, then the wider Homes & Gardens team, specializing in gardens.

How To Grow And Care For Nasturtium

Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum) are one of the quickest and easiest annuals to grow. They produce masses of vividly coloured blooms from midsummer right through to the first autumn frosts in a surprisingly wide range of colours – not just orange, yellow and red but also cream, salmon pink, burgundy and crimson (and often a mix of several of these). Some have attractively marbled or mottled leaves, too.

Nasturtiums are either bushy or dwarf (Tropaeolum minus) or climbers (Tropaeolum majus). Bushy varieties look great in containers and hanging baskets or at the front of a border, while climbing varieties can be trained up wigwams or obelisks and will twine through other plants. These can also be used as ground cover, spreading across gravel or cascading down a slope or bank. Both types grow very well in pots.

Nasturtiums not only look spectacular but the flowers, leaves and seeds are edible, too; nasturtiums are also known as Indian cress. Nasturtiums also make good companion plants on the veg patch – the caterpillars of large and small white butterflies feed on the leaves, luring them away from brassicas, while blackfly are attracted to the leaves, which may mean your beans escape attack. Bees love the flowers. Nasturtiums are incredibly easy to grow from seed, making them ideal for beginner gardeners and children. They also make good cut flowers.

How to grow nasturtiums

Sow nasturtiums from March to May, where they are to flower, or in 9cm pots in a greenhouse. Free-draining soil is essential for nasturtiums and, unlike many other flowers, they thrive on poor soils. Water plant in containers in dry spells. Once they have been hit by frosts, dig them up and put them on the compost heap.

Nasturtiums: jump links

Where to grow nasturtiums

Nasturtiums need sunshine for at least half the day in order to grow well. A free-draining soil is essential; nasturtiums flower best on poor soils. Fertile soil results in lots of leafy growth at the expense of flowers and flowers that are buried beneath the foliage.

Grow nasturtiums at the front of a border, up an obelisk, as companion planting on the veg patch or spilling over the edge of raised beds and pots.

Where to buy nasturtium seeds online

When to sow nasturtium

Sow nasturtium seeds under cover from March and outside when the soil has warmed up, from March to May – a late sowing will ensure flowers until the first frosts.

How to sow nasturtium seeds

How to grow nasturtiums - sowing nasturtium seed

Sowing nasturtiums in the ground

You can sow nasturtium seeds directly where they are to flower.

  1. Rake the soil to a fine tilth and make sure it is free of weeds. Water the area before you sow – this will ensure that you don't wash away the seeds once sown
  2. Sow the seeds 1.5cm deep, around 10cm apart – either push them in with your finger, or use a bamboo cane to make a shallow drill
  3. Cover the seeds with soil
  4. Once the seedlings emerge (after about two weeks) thin them to around 30cm apart

You can also simply pop seeds around the garden, where you'd like them to appear – around the edge of raised beds or large pots of bedding, for example.

Sowing nasturtiums in pots

You can also sow nasturtium seeds in pots – this is a good way to get earlier flowers and is a good option if you want to plant up a beautiful container display later in the season. Simply sow one seed per 9cm pot in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill, harden off and plant outside in late spring.

Read our detailed advice on how to sow annual climbers.

How to plant out nasturtiums

Nasturtiums growing with geraniums and nemesia in a hanging basket

If you haven't grown your own plants from seed, you might find small pots of nasturtiums at the garden centre in late spring or early summer that are ready for planting out.

Planting nasturtiums in the ground

Dig a hole that is the same size as the pot your plant was growing in, and plant so that the crown of leaves is at soil level. Water in well.

Planting nasturtiums in containers

Mix two-thirds peat-free multipurpose compost with one third fine gravel or grit, to reduce fertility and ensure good drainage. Again, plant so that the crown of leaves is at soil level and water in well.

More like this

In this clip from Gardeners' World, Monty Don arranges plants for a late summer display, with a dramatic purple-leaved Phormium cookianum 'Black Adder' in the centre, lots of magenta-flowered Cosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler', and four Bidens 'Hawaiian Flare Orange Drop' cascading over the rim, alongside trailing nasturtiums, Tropaeolum majus 'Cherry Rose Jewel'. He also advises on aftercare to keep the display at peak flowering through to late autumn:

How to care for nasturtium

Watering freshly planted nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are easy to care for and need little maintenance. Plants growing in the ground rarely need watering. Plants growing in containers should be watered to keep the compost evenly moist, but don't feed them. Deadheading will encourage more blooms over a longer period.

Harvesting and storage

Harvesting nasturtium flowers

Nasturtium leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible. The flowers and young leaves have a peppery taste (nasturtiums are closely related to watercress) and are a great addition to salads. The seed pods can be used as a substitute for capers (they are known as 'poor man's capers'). Pick them when mature but still green, and pickle them in vinegar.

You can collect nasturtium seeds when they're ripe and save them somewhere cool and dry to sow next year. In mild areas, nasturtiums are also likely to self-sow, so you may get seedlings springing up in future years. These can be easily pulled up if not wanted.

Our friends at olive magazine have a range of recipes that incorporate nasturtiums, including pickled vegetables with salted yogurt and pressed tomatoes with whipped goat’s cheese and lovage oil.

Growing nasturtiums: problem solving

Blackfly on a nasturtium leaf

Nasturtiums are likely to attract large and small white butterflies (known as cabbage white butterflies) which lay their large greenish eggs on the leaf undersides, which hatch into caterpillars that eat the leaves. This can be useful to deter caterpillars from eating brassica crops but not desirable if you’re growing nasturtiums for flowers. The best method of control is to inspect plants regularly and squash the eggs or young caterpillars, or move them on to plants you don't mind being eaten.

Nasturtiums are also attractive to aphids, particularly blackfly. Again, by planting nasturtiums alongside bean crops you can lure aphids away from your crop, but you may not appreciate aphids on nasturtiums you're growing for leaves and flowers. Spray them off with a jet of water or let ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings remove them for you – all three lay their eggs on aphid colonies and their young quickly eat them up.

Advice on buying nasturtiums

Nasturtium varieties to grow

Nasturtium 'Black Velvet'

Nasturtium 'Black Velvet'

Tropaeolum minus 'Black Velvet' is a compact nasturtium with velvety dark red flowers. H x S: 30cm x 45cm

Nasturtium 'Phoenix'

Nasturtium 'Phoenix'

Tropaeolum minus 'Phoenix' has flowers with unusual split petals, in shades red, orange and yellow. A bushy variety. Height x Spread: 30cm x 30cm

Nasturtium 'Empress of India'

Nasturtium 'Empress of India'

Nasturtium minus ‘Empress of India’ is a bushy nasturtium with crimson-red flowers and dark leaves. H x S: 25cm x 45cm. 'Princess of India' is a dwarf version.

Nasturtium 'Orange Troika'

Nasturtium 'Orange Troika'

Tropaeolum majus 'Orange Troika' is a climbing or trailing variety with vivid orange flowers and marbled foliage. H x S: 30cm x 1.5m

Nasturtium 'Alaska Series'

Nasturtium 'Alaska Mixed'

Nasturtium minus ‘Alaska Series’ produces flowers in yellow, cream, orange and red, shown off against cream and green marbled leaves. Bushy. H x S: 25cm x 45cm.

Nasturtium 'Ladybird'

Nasturtium 'Ladybird'

Tropaeolum minus 'Ladybird' has pretty cream/yellow flowers with deep red spots at the throat. H x S: 30cm x 40cm

Nasturtium 'Baby Deep Rose'

Tropaeolum minus 'Baby Deep Rose' is a compact, bushy variety with deep crimson blooms. H x S: 20cm x 20cm

Nasturtium 'Bloody Mary'

Tropaeolum minus 'Bloody Mary' has splotched and striped flowers in shades deep red, yellow and cream. H x S: 30cm x 60cm

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Author: Elena N. https://floristics. info/en/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: Garden Plants Returned: Last editing:

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