Planted as a trailing ground cover, in a colorful hanging basket or just as a compact bush in a container, nasturtiums are a cheerful patch of color.
I often see nasturtiums creeping on the ground in the cemetery and even in neglected backyards. That let's me conclude that they grow best left alone, as many other beautiful flowering plants, like the columbine.
- Nasturtiums are care free;
- poor soil is what they prefer, they grow even in clay, if it is dry, like in our cemetery;
- no fertilizer, no mulch or compost;
- full sun is what they like but will tolerate partial shade;
- most important, keep the soil dry!
- Nasturtiums are self seeding.
- Sow nasturtium seeds 1.5cm (1/2 in) deep and 25-30 cm (10-12 in) apart, in spring. You can sow them in soil where nothing else grows, as long as it's a sunny position;
- Keep the soil moderately moist during germination.
- It takes about 10 days the young plants to come up.
- Nasturtium flowers make for good color in the garden or even in a vase;
- Leaves flowers and seeds of nasturtiums are edible and used in salads for their papery taste;
- Their peppery leaves are believed to ward off insects, making nasturtiums excellent companion plants for cabbage family plants (cabbage, broccoli, collards, cauliflower, kale.) In particular, the caterpillar of the Large White (Cabbage White) Butterfly is attracted to nasturtium.