Grow a pot of nasturtium on the balcony, and it will bloom into a red waterfall every day, and it makes especially good tea

Nasturtium, which we call "dry lotus" around here. My neighbor grows a pot of it. It blooms a lot, the flower colors are vivid, and it is very beautiful. If you grow it on a balcony and manage it well, it will bloom into a waterfall of flowers! How should you manage it? Let's take a look:

To grow nasturtium, you must first understand its growth habits: nasturtium likes loose soil, good ventilation, good light, and a warm and fresh environment. The suitable temperature is 15-28°C. When the temperature is high, it goes dormant; when the temperature is low, it grows slowly and does not bloom. Adjust conditions reasonably according to its needs when growing it.

Suitable soil

Nasturtium likes loose, breathable soil. You can mix garden soil, leaf mold, river sand, or perlite in a 3:3:1 ratio, then spread a layer of organic fertilizer or your own composted fertilizer in the pot soil as a base fertilizer to increase fertility. This is very effective. Note that the fertilizer must not be placed against the roots. This soil mix is loose, breathable, and drains well, making it very suitable for root growth and absorption.

Suitable light

Nasturtium likes warm sunlight, but cannot tolerate direct strong light. Now in summer, pay even more attention to light intensity and shade it properly. At noon, move it indoors to a place with diffused light. Remember, it must not be exposed to harsh sun.

Moderate watering

The stems and leaves of nasturtium are juicy and it likes water very much, but its fleshy roots are afraid of waterlogging, so watering is very critical. During the growing season, keep the soil moist. When it dries out, be sure to water thoroughly, and also pay attention to soil drainage and aeration. It must never be sticky and airtight! In winter, the water requirement is a bit lower, so you can water by the see-dry-water-wet principle.

When watering, you can add a little ferrous sulfate appropriately to prevent the soil from becoming alkaline. If the soil becomes alkaline, the plant will not grow vigorously.

Pinching the tips

This step is essential. Because the stems of nasturtium are semi-vining and rather slender, if you let a single branch climb freely, it will grow thin and weak, unable to withstand wind, so you need to pinch the tips.

When the vines grow 4 or 5 leaves, pinch off the tip to encourage the vines to become thicker and branch out side shoots. You can wait until it grows four leaves, then pinch the tip again. In this way, it will produce many vines, flower buds will differentiate more, it will bloom explosively, and turning it into a waterfall of flowers will not be difficult.

Fertilizing

During the growing season, give it diluted cake fertilizer water or nitrogen fertilizer solution twice a month. Two months before the flowering period, increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote flower bud differentiation and produce more buds. During the flowering period, no fertilizing is needed. Too much fertilizer will instead shorten the flowering time and cause flowers to drop.

With this kind of care, your nasturtium will pretty much bloom into a waterfall. It can also be used to make tea, and it has the effects of clearing heat, refreshing the mind, and improving eyesight

If you like growing flowers, please follow the WeChat official account: Balcony Garden Vegetable Garden