Nasturtium: Easy to Grow Flowering Plants with Edible Flowers
Image by Cor Gaasbeek from Pixabay
Nasturtium plants are quick and easy to grow plants. These are edible and adds charm to the garden. The colorful flowers attracts butterflies and other pollinators. They have medicinal values and also used in culinary. They have less care and are very easy to maintain.
Quick Details of Nasturtium
| Other Common Names | Nasturtium |
| Type | Outdoor flowering plant |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Flowering | May to September |
| Light | Bright direct sunlight or partial shade |
| Water | Deep water twice a week. |
| Temperature | Normal climatic conditions, can not tolerate harsh summers and high humidity |
| Soil | Well draining moist soil |
| Fertilizer | Does not require feeding until the soil quality is poor. |
| Habitat | North and South America |
| Toxicity | Nil, They are edible |
| Common Diseases | Aphids, whiteflies, slugs, flea beetles |
| Scientific name | Tropaeolum spp. |
Nasturtium Buying Instructions
- These are creepers and will add beauty to your garden, balcony or terrace.
- Buy a bushy plant and if you want to use it as creeper buy couple of plants of different color flowers.
- Leaves should not have any kind of spots on it.
Overview of Nasturtium
Nasturtium are annual herbaceous flowering plants. They belong to the family Tropaeolaceae and are native to North and South America. These plants can grow up to a height of 10 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. The leaves are green, hairless, alternatively arranged and has entire margins. The stems can be woody or succulent. The plants have 5 petals, clawed, in which the upper petal is elongated to form nectar spur. They bloom from May to September.
Usage and Advantage of Nasturtium
- Grown as an ornamental plant.
- All the parts of the plants are edible, hence used in garnishing food.
- Used in herbal medicine.
- They are also grown as companion plants along with crop plants, thus attracting pests towards themselves.
General Care for Nasturtium
Soil
They prefer a well draining, moist soil. Excess organic matter can lead to foliage formation and can reduce blooming.
Water
Deep water the plants twice a week.
Sunlight
These plants thrive best under bright direct sunlight. They can also tolerate partial shade. The plants bloom when they receive at least 5-7 hours of bright direct sunlight. In places with harsh summers, place them in spots where they receive shade in the afternoon.
Temperature
These plants can withstand any normal weather conditions. The plants may require care during harsh summers and winters. The plants do best under normal or average humidity. They can be stresses under dry conditions or too much humidity.
Special Care
These plants do not require much care. Deadhead the flowers, to prolong the flowering time. Trim back the plants to 1/4 its height to improve growth and shape. Water the plants regularly.
Fertilization
These plants do not require any feeding. Addition of fertilizer can lead to excess foliage growth and less flowering. In case of poor soil quality, add fertilizer ones in the growing season.
Pests and other problems for Nasturtium
They are not prone to many pathogens. However, pests like aphids, whiteflies, slugs, flea beetles can infest the plants. In case of pest attack, spray a mild insecticide or pesticide or use neem oil.
Bacterial leaf spot: It is mostly caused when the humidity is high or there is no proper aeration . The leaves develop brown to black small spots which further spread and destroy the leaves. The margins look water soaked. Avoid overhead watering of the plants. Provide enough space between the plants to encourage proper aeration. Remove and destroy the infected part of the plant or the plant as soon as possible.
Wilt: It is a bacterial disease caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum. The infected part of the plant or the whole plant begins to turn yellow, wilt and can die before flowering. The roots turn black The infected part of the stems can develop black streaks releasing out slime when cut. Destroy the infected plants as soon as possible. Make sure to remove any debris of the infected plant from the soil, these pathogens can spread quickly and infect other healthy plants.
Propagation of Nasturtium
The propagation of Nasturtium is done through seeds. The seeds are sown indoors before transplanting the seedlings outdoors.
Plant the seeds 1/2 inch deep and 5-6 inch apart in early spring. They prefer a well draining soil, partial shade and moist soil to germinate. The seeds take around 10-14 days to germinate under optimum conditions.
