When to plant nasturtium seedlings in 2022 according to the lunar calendar

Now nasturtium can often be found in flower beds, but initially it was grown in vegetable gardens, because this plant is also edible. Moreover, almost everything is used for food. Young leaves and petals taste like watercress and are used in salads. Flowers can decorate side dishes. Unripe fruits, when marinated with dill, look like capers (1).

And in England in the old days, nasturtium had another use – it was planted in vegetable gardens next to cabbages to protect heads of cabbage from pests. It was believed that caterpillars, when they have a choice: to eat cabbage or nasturtium, choose flowers. And the vegetable remains unharmed.

So nasturtium certainly deserves our attention. It remains to find out when to plant nasturtium seedlings in 2022 according to the lunar calendar.

How to determine landing dates in your area

The nasturtium genus combines 88 species (2), but the most famous of them is the large nasturtium. It is she who is grown in gardens and orchards. She comes from Peru (3), which means that the plant is thermophilic. Therefore, nasturtium is planted in open ground at the end of May.

It can be grown in two ways: by sowing seeds directly into flower beds or through seedlings. The timing of planting (sowing) also depends on this. For the middle band, they look like this:

• sowing seeds for seedlings – the end of April;
• sowing seeds immediately in flower beds – the end of May;
• planting plants in the ground – the end of May.

In other regions, these dates will shift slightly:

• in the southern regions – a month earlier;

• in the Urals and Siberia – 2 weeks later.

– Nasturtium is an unpretentious plant, it can be sown immediately in flower beds or beds, – says agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mihailova. – It blooms, as a rule, a month after germination, that is, when sown in late May – late June. It is grown through seedlings to achieve earlier flowering – from the end of May.

Tips for caring for nasturtium seedlings

Nasturtium does not tolerate transplanting well (4), so seeds for seedlings should be sown immediately in pots. Maybe even 3 pieces. in each – in this case, the bushes will be more lush.

– Before sowing, it is useful to soak the seeds in warm water for 2-3 days – this way they will germinate much faster, – recommends Svetlana Mikhailova. – Seeds should be planted to a depth of 1 cm. Until the moment of germination, crops should be kept warm at a temperature of about 20 ° C.

When growing seedlings, it is important to provide her with 3 conditions.

Bright light. Nasturtium is very photophilous, so it is better to keep the plants on the south window. Although it can be grown in the north, but in this case, the seedlings are pulled out. Additional lighting will help correct the situation.

Cool content. Although this plant is thermophilic (5), seedlings are best kept in cool conditions – the temperature should not exceed 18 ° C. And even better, about 15 ° C. Otherwise, the plants are very stretched.

Moderate watering. Nasturtium does not like excess moisture, so watering should be moderate.

“The rule is this: between two waterings, the soil should dry out to the entire depth of the pot,” explains agronomist Svetlana Mikhailova. – If the bottom layer is constantly wet, this can cause root rot. That is why it is better to grow seedlings in transparent cups – it is easier to control the soil moisture, you can always see if it is dry or still damp.

It is not necessary to feed seedlings – nitrogen provokes violent growth of shoots to the detriment of future flowering. It will be possible to fertilize the plants 10-15 days after planting in the flower garden with any complex fertilizer and then repeat feeding every 2 weeks. But provided that the soil on the site is poor. On fertile land, nasturtium grows well without fertilizer.

Seedlings are planted in flower beds after May 20. But it is better not to rush, because nasturtium does not tolerate frost, and in the middle lane they are until June 5th. Otherwise, the plants will have to be covered. It is necessary to transplant very carefully, it is important that the clod of earth does not fall apart.

By the way, in early September, before frost, nasturtium can be dug up with a clod of earth, transferred to a large pot and transferred, for example, to a glazed balcony. Then the flowering will last until October.

Favorable days for planting seedlings at home or in a greenhouse

Favorable days for planting seedlings at home or in a greenhouse: March 13 – 17, 20, April 5 – 15, May 15, 31, June 1 – 10.

Favorable days for planting seedlings in open ground

Favorable days for planting seedlings in open ground: 1 – 15, 31 May, 1 – 12 June.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about growing nasturtium with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova – asked her the most pressing questions.

Sources of

1. Nichiporovich L. I. Home canning // Minsk: TOO-Harvest, 1995
2. Tropaeolum // The Plant List http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Tropaeolaceae/Tropaeolum/
3. Kiselev G.E. Floriculture // M.: OGIZ – SELKHOZGIZ, 1949 – 716 p.
4. Tavlinova G.K. Flowers in the room and on the balcony (2nd ed., revised and additional) // L .: Agropromizdat, Leningrad branch, 1985 – 272 p.
5. Kudryavets D.B., Petrenko N.A. How to grow flowers. A book for students // M .: Education, 1993 – 176 p.