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How many beautiful flowers exist for decorating personal plots, but not all of them can be grown by beginners. Many beauties are distinguished by a very capricious character (lobelia, petunia), or even completely poisonous and require very careful handling at all stages of cultivation (delphinium, foxglove).
And there are plants that differ not only in their unpretentiousness (they even bloom better on poor soils), but also in their versatility of use (they are good in flower beds, in beds, in balcony boxes and in hanging planters). They also have valuable medicinal and nutritional properties. Some experienced flower growers have probably already guessed that we are talking about nasturtium or capuchin, as it is often called in most European countries. The scientific Latin name for nasturtium is tropaeolum, which means “little trophy” in translation. Apparently, this is due to the fact that the leaves of most species are shield-shaped, while the flowers resemble a helmet.
The popular names of this popular flower reflected its many properties: Indian cress, krasulka, color lettuce.
Useful properties of nasturtium
Indeed, nasturtium is not only a beautiful flower, the sight of which in itself is able to delight the eye, and the aroma – to delight the soul. All above ground parts of nasturtium – stems, leaves, flowers and seeds – are edible and have healing properties. In some species of nasturtium growing in South America, even edible and very tasty tubers are formed.
Leaves, buds and flowers are used in salads, hot dishes and to decorate holiday meals. They can be added to a variety of sauces, oils, and cheeses for a savory flavor. The fruits can be pickled and then you will get a delicacy dish that is in no way inferior to capers. And if you dry and grind nasturtium seeds, then the resulting powder can completely replace ground black pepper.
And the set of medicinal properties of this flower also cannot but delight. It has been established that it has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antiseptic, laxative, diuretic, antibiotic and antiscorbutic properties.
Nasturtium juice can help with baldness, certain skin diseases, and kidney stone problems.
Of course, when treating, one should be careful and observe a healthy measure, since overdose can cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Variety of species
The genus Nasturtium includes about 80 species of perennial plants growing in Central and South America. Since the flowers are rather thermophilic and do not tolerate negative temperatures, in Our Country we can only enjoy them during the summer period. In culture, various types of nasturtium have been widely known since the middle of the XNUMXth century.
Among the large number of species and varieties, it makes sense to distinguish only a few varieties.
Bush
Bush nasturtiums, which mainly belong to the plants of Nasturtium Minor. They grow in small compact bushes, no more than 35-40 cm in height. The most interesting and exotic varieties in this group are:
- cherry rose – this variety can be attributed to terry.
The color of the flowers is quite rare – pink-raspberry, so the name is fully true.
- Black Velvet or Black Lady – a variety of nasturtium with a very unusual color of flowers.
They are burgundy, almost black. The leaves also have a dark green tint.
- Vesuvius – the color of the flowers is very delicate.
Against the background of a smooth transition from pink to orange, there are soft reddish spots.
Curly or ampelous
Whips of nasturtium, growing up to 3-4 meters in length, can be placed on a vertical trellis or hung down from a basket and even covered with a flower bed.
- Terry mix – this variety is interesting, first of all, for its double lush flowers, which can be of a wide variety of shades.
- Yeti – the leaves have an emerald hue, and the flowers are very light, almost white, decorated with yellow spots.
- Alaska – a unique variety of nasturtium, when the plant catches the eye even without flowers, thanks to the painted decorative leaves.
- Diamond – a variety with very bright and saturated red hue flowers.
Separately, there is Canarian or foreign nasturtium. This species is the only one not able to form seeds in climatic conditions.
But it looks very exotic – the leaves are heavily indented, and the flowers rather resemble the wings of some birds. Planting and caring for it are no different from other varieties.
Features of seeds
Nasturtium seeds are quite large, from 10 to 30 pieces can fit in one gram. Germination is about 70% and lasts 4-5 years.
If you want to collect and sow seeds from your own nasturtium flowers, then keep in mind that at first they are connected together in three pieces and have a green color. As they mature, the seeds increase in size and turn whitish in color. Fully ripened nasturtium seeds fall off easily, so it is recommended to pick them slightly unripe. In a warm and dry room, the seeds easily ripen to the desired state, become wrinkled with shallow grooves, as in the photo below.
Despite the fact that nasturtium itself is very thermophilic and does not tolerate frost, its seeds may well overwinter in the ground and remain viable. This explains the fact that often this flower reproduces by self-sowing.
If you are going to use the traditional method of sowing seeds into the ground for growing nasturtium, then you must first soak the seeds for a day in water or in a solution with stimulants. In this case, the hard shell will soften, and the seeds will germinate more quickly and amicably. It will be even more effective when soaking the seeds in hot water and leave it in it for a day.
Terms of sowing
To answer the question of when to plant nasturtium, you need to understand how and where you want to grow it.
Considering the fact that neither the shoots nor the grown seedlings of nasturtium absolutely tolerate frosts, it is possible to sow its seeds in open ground only at the end of May (for the conditions of the middle zone). And in this case, you can enjoy the flowering of nasturtium only from mid-July.
Therefore, if you want nasturtium to bloom in your garden in June and delight you with flowering until autumn, you must sow its seeds for seedlings no later than April.
It happens that they want to grow nasturtium for flowering on the balcony or in hanging pots and containers. In these cases, seeds for seedlings can be sown even in March and in general at any time of the year. If only you can provide nasturtiums for flowering in a bright and frost-free room.
Sowing seeds in the ground
This method is universal and the most common among gardeners, since in the spring, with a lack of time, it makes no sense to mess with nasturtium seedlings, which germinate quite easily and relatively quickly. In addition, the nasturtium has a very delicate root system, which hardly tolerates picking and may lag behind in growth after transplantation.
And when seeds are planted immediately in the ground, under favorable weather conditions, after germination, the sprouts quickly gain strength, and their root system is not subjected to unnecessary stress. If, in your area, even at the end of May, the weather can be unpredictable, then it is better to cover the plantings with a layer of non-woven material.
Planting nasturtium seeds in a flower bed is not difficult. Soil before planting is spilled with hot water. Then, depressions 1,5-2 cm in size are made in the ground, and 2-3 seeds are placed there. Nasturtium seeds are covered with loose soil and slightly compacted from above. Then, if necessary, the flower bed is covered with spunbond, lutrasil or other non-woven material. In outdoor conditions, shoots can be expected in about two weeks.
The video below shows in detail the process of sowing nasturtium seeds into the ground.
Planting seeds for seedlings
Despite the fact that growing nasturtium by direct sowing in the ground has its advantages, this method also has disadvantages:
- Seeds can germinate for a very long time, and in the case of cold or very rainy weather, they may not germinate at all.
- Flowering of nasturtium will come quite late, in mid-July.
- If the soil in the flower bed is not very suitable for a flower, for example, with a high content of clay particles, then there may also be problems with the germination of nasturtium.
Therefore, if you want to be guaranteed to get already blooming nasturtium by the beginning of summer or by any other date of your choice (even by March 8), then it is better to use the seedling method. Moreover, in recent years, many ingenious ways of planting nasturtium seedlings have been invented that make planting easier and provide a guaranteed result.
Traditional way
Traditionally, nasturtium is planted for seedlings, like any other annuals, in small containers, so that later, after the appearance of two or four leaves, the plants are planted in separate pots. For nasturtium, this method is not the best, although it is still used by some flower growers. As mentioned above, nasturtiums do not like to disturb their root system, so the best option would be to sow the soaked seeds immediately in separate containers.
These can be ordinary cups, and home-made cups without a bottom, and peat pots, and peat tablets. The planting depth should not exceed 1-1,5 cm. The soil for planting must be very light, with a high content of sand or perlite with a slightly acidic reaction.
Seeds usually germinate at a temperature of +20°+22°C within a week or two. After germination, they must be placed in the brightest place.
Artificial additional lighting lamps are not able to replace the sun completely and seedlings can stretch. Therefore, it is advisable to place nasturtium seedlings at least for a few hours a day on a sunny windowsill.
The video below will clearly demonstrate the entire process of growing nasturtium from seeds before planting in a flower bed and flowering.
Landing in sawdust
This method saves space for sowing, accelerates the germination of nasturtium seeds and, most importantly, facilitates further transplanting / picking.
Seeds can be initially planted in one container. Its size depends on the amount of seeds that you are going to sow. You will need sawdust, preferably hardwood. Coniferous sawdust is not suitable because of the high content of resin in them. You can also take compressed sawdust in granules, which are sold for use in cat litter.
Spread a layer of sawdust about 3-3,5 cm thick in the prepared container and pour them with a small amount of boiling water so as to moisten them well. But there is no need to make a swamp.
Nasturtium seeds (even without pre-soaking) are laid out in holes made in sawdust, at a distance of about 4-6 cm. The sawdust should be quite hot, so that the hand can only withstand it. After sowing, close the container with a bag to create a greenhouse effect and put it on germination in heat.
After the emergence of seedlings, after a few days, nasturtium sprouts can be carefully transplanted into separate pots with ready-made soil. In this case, the transplantation is absolutely painless, since on the one hand the sawdust is very loose and light and the roots do not worry at all, and on the other hand, the plants are still very tiny and easily tolerate transplantation.
Thus, this method guarantees you fast and almost 100% germination.
This method is described in detail in the video below.
Growing nasturtium without soil
In recent years, the method of planting seeds of various plants in rolls or “snails”, as they are sometimes called, has gained particular popularity. For this you will need:
- A strip of dense polyethylene or a substrate for a laminate, 10 cm wide, and its length depends on the number of nasturtium seeds.
- The same size strip of thick toilet paper.
Toilet paper is applied to the unfolded strip of polyethylene and abundantly moistened with a solution of epin (3 drops per 1 liter). Along the upper edge of the toilet paper, 1,5 cm from the edge, nasturtium seeds are laid out evenly 4-5 cm apart.
After the last seed, there should be another 10-15 cm of the strip space free from seeds.
Starting with the first seed, carefully roll up the strip, making sure the seeds stay in place. Having rolled up, you can tighten the roll with a clerical rubber band or glue it with adhesive tape. Then place the bottom side of the roll in a small container of water. And put everything together in a plastic bag. The boarding process is complete. Now it is only necessary to remove the roll from the bag every day, airing the seeds and monitoring their germination. When the first sprouts appear, the roll, already without a bag, is placed in a bright place.
As soon as the seedlings have two leaves, you can, by unfolding the roll, carefully transplant the plants into separate containers.
In this video you can watch the process of planting nasturtium seeds in a roll in detail.
Picking and the basic requirements of nasturtium for flowering
Picking nasturtium usually causes great difficulties for flower growers, and therefore it is recommended to do without it if possible. If, nevertheless, it so happened that your seedlings are very stretched out, and you do not know how to correct the situation, then when transplanting, do not be afraid to bury the nasturtium plants into the ground at the very base of the first leaves. If possible, plant nasturtiums in pots with plenty of space in height so that after germination you can add soil to the plants.
But the traditional pinching of nasturtium shoots does not always lead to a positive result.
For the successful cultivation of nasturtium and abundant flowering, several basic rules should be considered:
- When using nitrogen for top dressing, nasturtiums will experience an abundance of leaves, but there may be problems with flowering. Therefore, the best fertilizers will be phosphorus-potassium.
- Young seedlings of nasturtium need moderate to medium watering, but with the appearance of flowers with watering, you need to be more careful. Since the abundance of moisture not only inhibits flowering, but the roots of the flower may even rot.
- When grown in a sunny location, nasturtium will bloom earlier and bloom more profusely. In partial shade, she can also feel good, but all development processes will be slowed down.
Now that all the secrets and features of this flower have been revealed, even a beginner can grow it. Try and choose any of the planting methods described above and enjoy the beauty, aroma and beneficial properties of nasturtium.