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Balconies and loggias, gazebos and attics, borders and paths – nasturtium will help decorate any corner of the garden, emphasize advantages and hide some wall flaws or a rickety fence. It is desirable to grow this picky flower on poor soil.
Abundant and long flowering is another advantage of the plant. Planting nasturtium in the open field and subsequent care is not burdensome. But there are some nuances that you need to know about in advance.
Familiar stranger capuchin
Nasturtium has another name – Capuchin. Some sources mention that “Capucin” is the real name of the plant, but it was called nasturtium much later.
Nasturtium belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants of this family. Nasturtium. This genus includes about a hundred plant species native to Central and South America.
The Nasturtium family includes perennial and annual flowers with a juicy, weak and branched stem and unusually bright and beautiful inflorescences, shaped like the pointed hood of the monks of the Franciscan order. It is for this similarity that he received his name “capuchin”.
The variety of types of nasturtium is very large. Among them, you can find creeping, bushy plants, and there are also “climbing”, so-called vines (do not confuse with climbing ones), which cling to any support or other plants.
Plant height varies on average from 20 cm to 200 cm, depending on the type and variety of flowers. Creeping nasturtiums have a height of 20 to 50 cm, but climbing plant varieties grow up to 1,5-2 m. More recently, new varieties have appeared on the market, reaching 3,5-4 m in height and they belong to long-climbing plants.
The leaves of the nasturtium are thyroid or lobed, the arrangement is alternate, attached to the stem with a long petiole.
Flowers in capuchins are solitary, mostly bisexual, emit a very delicate and pleasant aroma, consist mainly of five uneven petals (more petals can be found only in varietal plants), the same number of sepals, ovary and tube in the form of a funnel.
Previously, the color scheme of nasturtium flowers was represented by only three colors – red, yellow and bright orange. But the variety of shades strikes with brightness and originality. Thanks to breeders, many new varieties of this plant have recently appeared, and among the usual colors you can find snow-white, raspberry even brown inflorescences.
Despite the fact that in their homeland nasturtiums are perennials, in our country, in harsh climatic conditions, they are grown exclusively as annual flowers.
Nasturtium has long been known for its medicinal properties, and some parts of the plant are often used in cooking as a component of second courses and salads.
Annual flowers are most often propagated by sowing nasturtium seeds in open ground. They sprout rather quickly, grow excellently and bloom profusely and luxuriously throughout the summer.
Growing rules
Growing nasturtium (pictured below) is not such a difficult process. A novice florist will be able to cope with a number of familiar and familiar recommendations, and you will not be required to have any specific skills and abilities. However, it is worth familiarizing yourself with some of the features that are the key to the lush, delicious flowering of nasturtium.
When to plant
The timing of planting nasturtium seeds depends on the method of growing flowers (seedling or seedless), as well as the climatic features of the region.
If you decide to sow nasturtium for seedlings, you can start work around the beginning or middle of April. Transplanting flowers into open ground is started no earlier than 1-1,5 months after sowing.
The grown seedlings are transplanted into the flower garden only after the threat of spring night frosts has passed. In the central regions, flower transplantation begins in mid-late May. But in regions with a more severe climate, it is not worth starting planting work before the end of May – the beginning of June.
Flower growers start sowing seeds of nasturtium immediately in open ground no earlier than mid-late May. Such a late planting date is due to the return frosts characteristic of the beginning of the month. And in some regions, this period may move 1,5-2 weeks later. With a sharp drop in temperature, young seedlings of flowers will inevitably die.
Which site to choose
Capuchin loves light and warmth very much and is intolerant of drafts. Therefore, the place for growing nasturtium in the open field must be selected according to its preferences.
A well-lit area, protected from penetrating winds, is an ideal place for a future flower bed. Weak and juicy stems of nasturtium break instantly with strong gusts.
In shady places where the amount of sunlight is limited, nasturtium will grow weak. The bushes will consist of a large number of stems and an abundance of green foliage. It is unlikely that you will see flowers on plants during the summer season.
Areas with a high level of groundwater and also places where water stagnates in spring and after rain are completely unsuitable for growing nasturtium in open ground. Excessive humidity is the first enemy of flowers and the root cause of putrefactive diseases.
It will be a shame if, with so much effort, these beautiful flowers die from such a trifle as an improperly chosen place.
What soils are preferred
Before planting nasturtium, it is important to decide which soil the flower prefers. Sometimes, even with the observance of agricultural cultivation techniques, some flower growers note that the plant is gaining green mass well, but flowering is not observed. Or rare flowers appear on the nasturtium bushes, which have a pale color.
The reason for such failures can be either an incorrect feeding system, or too fertile soil. The flower will put all its strength into the formation and active growth of young shoots.
Therefore, it is desirable to plant nasturtium in the lungs, with moderate indicators in terms of the composition of soil minerals.
Too poor soils are also not the best place to grow nasturtium. Under such conditions, the plant will stretch upwards. The appearance of a flower grown in poor soil will be unattractive – long, weakened shoots with a small number of small leaves and no flowers.
Growing nasturtiums in heavy, clayey soil will also fail. In this case, the flower is often affected by various diseases, which leads to the death of the plant.
Light, with low soil acidity, with a good drainage layer – this is an ideal option for planting nasturtium in open ground and subsequent care.
Which growing method to choose
There are two ways to plant nasturtium seeds in the ground – seedlings, familiar to all flower growers, and seedless. Each has its own tricks and limitations, which dictate the structural features of the plant’s root system and the recommended rules of agricultural technology.
Features of growing seedlings
Before growing nasturtium seedlings from seeds, it is important to know that the root system of the plant is very fragile and recovers for a long time with the slightest damage. It is advisable to take care in advance that later, when transplanting flower seedlings into open ground, injure the roots as little as possible.
Please note that when growing nasturtium for seedlings, you will have to exclude the picking process. Therefore, sowing seeds should be done in separate cups with a retractable bottom or peat cups.
One seed is planted in each container with a drainage layer laid at the bottom and filled with soil, covered with a two-centimeter layer of earth and proper care is provided.
The recommended room temperature for growing nasturtium seedlings ranges from + 20˚С + 22˚С. You will see the first green seedlings of flowers in about 1,5-2 weeks. Make sure that the seedlings receive enough light, otherwise the seedlings will stretch and be very weak.
When planting seedlings of nasturtium in open ground, observe the recommended interval between seedlings, which depends on the variety and type of plant. So, for creeping varieties of flowers, the optimal planting step varies between 20-30 cm, for vines – up to 40-50 cm. The instructions for each variety of nasturtium indicated on the package will help you determine the acceptable distance more accurately.
Nasturtium seedlings should be transplanted into moist soil, along with a clod of earth, to avoid damage to the delicate root system. When growing seedlings of flowers in peat cups, the seedlings are placed in the planting holes along with the cups.
When planting nasturtium in the ground, pay attention to the weather forecast – even small frosts will reduce your work to zero. Flowers immediately die with sharp drops in temperature. Start work no earlier than the daytime temperature of + 18˚С + 20˚С is established on the street.
Flowers bloom 1-1,5 months after transplanting into open ground. The flowering process continues until the first night frosts. So you can enjoy the luxurious, vibrant colors of nasturtium until autumn.
seedless method
The seedless method of growing nasturtium flowers in the open field is less troublesome, and requires much less effort and time. In addition, plants gain color 2-3 weeks earlier than those grown by seedlings.
Moreover, when planting nasturtium seeds directly into the ground, flower growers noted that they grow stronger and are less susceptible to various diseases.
Planting a capuchin
To speed up germination and in order to provoke the earlier appearance of the first inflorescences, flower growers resort to one trick. Before planting nasturtium seeds in open ground, the seed material is soaked for 2-3 days in warm water. The hard surface shell will get wet, the seeds will swell, and then they can be planted in the ground.
On a flower bed prepared in advance, make small holes with a step of 25-30 cm and a depth of 2-3 cm. In each planting hole, evenly place 3-4 seeds of nasturtium flowers and sprinkle with soil no more than 2-3 cm thick. Pour the plantings with warm water .
Immediately after planting nasturtium, it is recommended to cover the beds with lutrasil or agrofibre to keep warm and speed up seed germination. In addition, this measure will protect your planting from possible frosts.
If there is a threat of a decrease in temperature, you can additionally cover the sown flowers with plastic wrap or rags. After only 12-15 days, you will see the first shoots.
Subsequently, the beds need to be covered only at night for 2-3 weeks. After that, the cover can be removed.
Flower aftercare
As with all flowers, caring for nasturtium after planting (photo below) comes down to standard procedures. And although this plant requires minimal attention to itself, do not forget about watering, weeding, pruning wilted inflorescences and top dressing. And then the capuchins will surely thank you with magnificent, bright flowers.
To ensure long-term flowering after planting nasturtium in the open field, care is reduced to regular and moderate watering. At first, you need to water the beds only with warm, settled water. During the period of active growth, flowers will need abundant watering.
With a lack of moisture, the flowers become very weak. With excessive moisture, the roots of the flowers rot, and the plant may die. Moreover, on moist soils, very poor flowering of nasturtium is noted with the active growth of bushes.
When the first buds appear, the amount of watering should be reduced. Water nasturtiums only as needed. Keep the soil in the flower bed moist, and this will be enough for the plants.
An important step in caring for nasturtium after planting in open ground is weeding. Make sure that weeds do not drown out the flowers, otherwise they will stretch up. Outwardly, such plants look naked and unattractive.
As soon as the flowers grow to a height of 15-18 cm, you can mulch the soil. This simple procedure will greatly simplify your work. The mulch layer will retain moisture. There are much fewer weeds in mulched beds.
For longer and lush flowering, flower growers timely remove wilted flowers from the bush. This event will help the plant to direct all the forces and nutrients to the formation of new inflorescences.
However, if you want to prepare the seeds of the flowers you like on your own, you can leave several ovaries on the selected plants.
In general, flowers do not need additional nutrition. But if you wish, you can feed the nasturtium with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Top dressing can be made once every two weeks until the first buds appear. Subsequent fertilization of the flowers is not recommended.
By autumn, the splendor of flowering nasturtium gradually decreases. From this point on, you need to reduce watering. When the vegetative process comes to the final stage, the annual bushes are removed from the site, and the soil is dug up.
Diseases and pests
Pests very rarely choose nasturtium as a home and food. Moreover, it repels many pests from neighboring plants. Therefore, plant these flowers between vegetable beds and you will notice that:
- whiteflies;
- aphid;
- Colorado beetle;
- cabbage butterfly
will be rare guests in your garden.
But the flowers are less resistant to diseases. When growing nasturtium, you may encounter the following problems:
- The lower leaves wither and turn yellow, subsequently the whole plant becomes ill and dies. The reason is bacterial wilt.
- Small dots on the leaves, surrounded by a red-brown border, indicate the disease of the plant with ring spot.
- Dry, gray-brown spots on foliage and shoots. The reason is gray rot.
- The appearance of mosaic patterns on the leaves. This is how the mosaic works.
- The appearance of black and brown spots on the foliage, turning into tubercles. The reason is rust.
In all cases, affected plants should be removed from the site and, if possible, burned. Healthy flowers need to be urgently treated with special preparations to prevent the spread of diseases.
How Capuchins Reproduce
Both perennial and annual nasturtium reproduces mainly by seeds. But flower growers are essentially testers and experimenters. And, wanting to preserve and increase the most exquisite and rare specimens of flowers, they resort to cuttings.
Collection and preparation of seeds
You can collect and prepare your seeds from almost all varieties of flowers. Except, of course, hybrids. They are not able to maintain the varietal qualities of the plant. And what will grow from such seeds is unknown.
When growing nasturtiums, it is important to note the strongest plants in time, on which beautiful and excellent flowers bloomed. This can be done with colored ribbons or ropes.
Not all types and varieties of nasturtium have time to ripen before the onset of autumn. Therefore, you need to monitor the seed boxes. As soon as they change their color and become whitish, they easily separate and fall off. Don’t miss this moment and try to collect nasturtium flower seeds a little earlier.
Nasturtium seeds ripen perfectly at home. Dry the seed material, let it ripen, and store it.
Can it be propagated by cuttings
Recently, a lot of information has appeared about the vegetative method of reproduction of nasturtium. But this method, unlike the seed method, does not guarantee the production of healthy and strong plants.
Cuttings can be used to propagate very rare or hybrid varieties of flowers. In this case, with a successful outcome, young plants will retain all the characteristics of the original variety.
Carefully separated flower cuttings are rooted in water with the addition of a stimulant for the formation and growth of roots, and subsequently transplanted into large flower pots. Until spring, rooted nasturtium is grown on the windowsill, and with the advent of spring they are planted in open ground.
The author of the video will tell and show you how to properly plant nasturtium in open ground.
Conclusion
Bright, inimitable lanterns of nasturtium flowers, sparkling in bright green foliage, can decorate any corner of your garden, balcony or loggia, attic or gazebo.
Planting nasturtium in open ground and subsequent care is not particularly difficult and does not require any skills. Even a beginner can cope with this simple task. A grateful plant will give you a great mood and pleasure from contemplating magnificent and unique flowers.