Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Nasturtium

Growing Nasturtium, Nasturtium belongs to the family of various plants in the Tropaeolum genus. Generally, we can see nasturtium plants in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Nasturtium leaves have a minty flavor, and so it is used in many recipes all around the world. Nasturtium has a different color property; generally, it’s yellow, orange, or red. Nasturtium flower is funnel-shaped, and it has a long spur that contains sweet nectar.

History:

In Italy in 1769, the double variety of Nasturtium but the dwarf one developed in the late 19th century. Bernard McMahon was responsible for introducing this plant in the United States around 1806.

The Nasturtium variety is the Empress of India, cultivated by Burpee around 1884; the dwarf variety has a magnificent vermilion color. John Bodger is the one who discovered the Golden Gleam variety of Nasturtium outside of a Mexican convent. The semi-double nasturtium variety is well-favored worldwide, and Golden Gleam is the foremost of this kind discovered.

Another popular variety of Nasturtium is Canary Creeper Vine; in the early 1800s, this variety got discovered around Ecuador and Peru. This variety of Nasturtium is a very famous cottage gardener flower in the United States. This plant Blossoms Canary colored flower and generally grows well in light soil.

Nutritional Fact: 

The nasturtium plant has numerous benefits. We can listNasturtium benefits from the facts of its high nutritional values and various healing benefits. Garden Nasturtium is considered a medicinal plant; it contains much evidence of bioactive elements, elements that the human body can absorb easily. The Nasturtium flower and many of its parts used a source of potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and magnesium. Nasturtium has a lot of zinc, copper, and iron.

Nasturtium flower gets used to extract essential oils from them; its compounds have antimicrobial, anti-fungus, and even can prevent cancer. 

Garden Nasturtium possesses a high content of vitamin C, polyphenols. Diseases in the respiratory and digestive systems can also get treated with it. Nasturtium seeds contain erucic acid that can help in treating adrenoleukodystrophy.

Nutrient and Mineral for Nasturtium plant:

Nasturtium growth boosts when the soil crust gets farmed after every time it rains. We can apply rotten compost, which will turn into an enriched coil. Also, apply 5-10-5 fertilizer during summer. For Nasturtium to grow correctly, it needs ample sunlight, and its roots ask for moderate moisture. 

Pyrethrum is a kind of spray applied to get rid of aphids’ keen interest in young shoots. Avoid over-fertilizing Nasturtium; this will harm the plant.

To grow Nasturtium in pots, it must be in a place that gets direct sunlight but should also keep it away from afternoon sunlight. The soil in the container must be loose, well-drained, and should be rich in organic matter. We should water the soil only when it’s dried out.

When to plant Nasturtium:

When we consider planting the nasturtium seeds outside, it is best to sow them 1 to 2 weeks after spring. It is best when the temperature of the soil is between 12 to 18 degrees Celsius. We should also have pre-planned ways to take extra care of the young seedling from frost. 

We can also grow Nasturtium in pots; the cultivators prefer to sow it 2 to 4 weeks ago, the last frost spring date. Watering the plant throughout the season is desired.

Where to plant Nasturtium:

Nasturtium, when grown outdoors, it is preferred to produce at a place that gets full sun for almost 6 to 8 hours; this will ensure getting the best result. The trailing type Nasturtium must be given support because of its growth habit. The choice of soil should be a well-drained one. Nasturtium can also grow in less fertile soil, and it generally does not ask for over-fertilization. When nitrogen gets provided more than required, it will populate more foliage than the flower.

When grown indoors, cultivators prefer to provide it with potting mix without adding any fertilizer. Plant two seeds in each pot and put it in a sunny location; a south-facing window is preferred the most.

How to plant Nasturtium plants:

When cultivators plan to sow plants outdoors, they constantly plant seeds that require less coddling. When cultivators decide to grow Nasturtium in a hot climate, we must keep it from hot summer afternoons. At 10 inches apart, it is sown in an inch-deep burrow. 

When cultivators choose to plant Nasturtium indoors, plant large seeds to produce a better result. Planting two seeds in each pot should get considered; it generally takes 10 to 12 days for the Nasturtium to germinate. When seedling shows few signs of leaves, we should take out weaker ones. 

Nasturtium plant Care:

When the pot appears too crowded, it is better to trim it off; it is better to have one plant in each container. If the container is large, then we can consider having two or more plants. It is better to trim off the weaker plants and only have the more robust plants. When the Nasturtium seed grows into a plant, we should consider watering it when the top two inches are dry.

We should keep the area weeds-proof and a limited amount of water. The watering should get done an inch every week; Nasturtium does not bloom if the soil gets too dry. Always avoid fertilizing the ground; too much of it can overpopulate the plant.

Varieties of Nasturtium:

Generally, Nasturtium comes in three type

• Mounding nasturtium is a small bushy plant with a height of 15″ tall and 12″ wide. Nasturtium is generally a tidy plant and must plant it for small gardens, beds, and borders.
• Semi-trailing is a kind of Nasturtium vine generally grown to a height of 2 to 3 feet; this is why it is the best choice for baskets or pets.
• Nasturtium varieties known as climbing are large plants that reach a height of about 12 feet. With leafy stalks, this plant pulls itself up. Growing them by the wall will increase the blooming of flowers. We can also consider it as a groundcover.

Harvesting and storing Nasturtium:

For self-sown nasturtiums, the seed drop by itself. We can find it around the base; the only thing to do is to collect it. We should avoid the smaller seeds and choose bigger ones instead, as the bigger ones have a better chance of germination. It is essential to dry them, for this purpose we must put them in a paper towel.

For culinary purposes, nasturtium leaves must pick leaves when the plant is around six inches tall. We can choose the flower as soon as it opens. The best time to collect seedpods is when its 1/4 inch in diameter. 

We should cut the stem with leaves and stems; removing the old flower will increase the blooming period. We should not deadhead if we want to collect seeds in late summer.

Pest and Disease of Nasturtium:

• Wilt: the plant infected shows symptoms of yellow, wilt, and dies eventually. There is a chance that infected plants may die before flowering and have black roots.

      When the plant is affected by these, we must remove and rogue it. Avoiding deadheading is another step to prevent this condition.

• Bacterial leaf spot: Plants with this infection may have water-soaked margins with small brown or black spots in leaves. Thinning the plant may prevent this from happening and avoiding overhead as this bacteria spreads with water splashing.
• Bean aphid: This aphid very frequently infests Nasturtium; spreading insecticidal soap may remove this insect.
• Cabbage looper: This caterpillar has leaves as its food; this insect causes a lot of harm to our plants. Carbaryl and spinosad can remove this insect.

Recipes:

• Nasturtium Salads.
• Nasturtium and Black Pepper Vinegar.
• Stir fry Nasturtium.