Can nasturtium be eaten? With cultivation methods and care guide

  The flower name nasturtium may not be familiar to some gardening enthusiasts, but once you see what it looks like, you will definitely feel you have seen it before. That is because nasturtium is often grown in cities for visitors to admire. And nasturtium has another advantage: with proper care it can bloom all year round. In addition, the flowers of nasturtium can be used as medicine, and the flower buds, seeds and tender shoots can also be used as a spice. Having said so much about the advantages of nasturtium, don't you really want to grow it? Below, the editor of Huinong Network will explain the cultivation and care of nasturtium for you. Let's learn together.

  Nasturtium cultivation

  1. Nasturtium seeds are wrapped in a thick outer coat, so planting them directly will delay the germination rate. Soak them in water for 1~3 days, remove the coat, and then plant them in a flower pot or flower bed, where they are easier to grow.

  2. Germination in autumn takes a lot of time; if planted again in early April, new shoots will sprout quickly. Although planting directly in a large flower pot or flower bed is better, it will reduce the germination rate.

  3. When the roots emerge from the small holes at the bottom of the pot, please divide the plants into separate pots as soon as possible.

  4. Once it has adapted to the new pot, the leaves will become lush. Because it has a trailing habit, growing it in a hanging pot allows you to enjoy its charm. You can also insert a support stake.

  5. Nasturtium is very easy to propagate from cuttings; just insert them in soil and roots will grow. You can cut off the newly grown shoots and insert them in soil for cuttings.

  6. If sown in early spring, it can bloom in late spring; if sown in autumn, it can bloom in early spring. If grown indoors, you can gently brush the stamens with a brush pen or cotton swab to pollinate them.

  7. After pollination, blue-green seeds will form. When the seeds turn slightly yellow, they can be picked, then dried in the sun until a thick coat forms on the surface, and they become nasturtium seeds.

  8. In midsummer, nasturtium is very prone to leaf-miner and eulophid wasp damage, and the leaves will then turn yellow and wither. After blooming several times, it will no longer produce pollen.

  Nasturtium care

  Although nasturtium is very easy to grow, insufficient light will cause the leaves to become smaller or the plant to grow leggy. Therefore, make sure there is plenty of light. Although autumn sowing produces smaller leaves than spring sowing, it blooms earlier and also reduces the chance of pests and diseases. Growing nasturtium in a greenhouse can make it a perennial plant.

  The above is the editor of Huinong Network's summary on the cultivation and care of nasturtium. The flowers and leaves of nasturtium are edible. It is rich in vitamin C, iron and minerals, and has remarkable effects in areas such as treating septicemia, sterilization, antibiotic action and promoting digestion. So friends who like nasturtium can try growing it more often.

Nasturtium growing and planting methods

Nasturtium prefers a mild climate and cannot tolerate severe cold or intense heat. The suitable growing temperature is 18°C-24°C. It needs plenty of light in winter, spring and autumn, and potted plants should avoid scorching sun exposure in summer. Potted nasturtium requires loose, fertile, highly permeable growing soil, and it likes moisture but fears waterlogging. It is usually propagated by seed, and can also be propagated by softwood cuttings. For those intended for open-ground planting, seeds can be sown in a cold frame in early spring; one week after emergence, divide and transplant the seedlings, and when the seedlings are 10 cm tall, they can be planted out in the open ground in a loose, fertile spot with slight shade. It blooms profusely from June to September, until the first frost. For potted plants that need to bloom from April to May, sow in a greenhouse in December of the previous year, using a No. 2 tube pot filled with ordinary growing soil, sow 1 or 2 seeds per pot, water thoroughly after sowing, and place them above 20°C near the front opening of the greenhouse. They will emerge in about 10 days; keep the light sufficient.

The growing soil should preferably be a loam mixed with 4 parts leaf mold, 4 parts garden soil, 1 part compost soil and 1 part sandy soil.

In southern regions it is grown as a perennial, while in northern regions it is grown as an annual or in pots. For potted nasturtium, it is best to use a growing soil mixed evenly with 4 parts leaf mold, 4 parts garden soil, 1 part compost soil and 1 part sandy soil.

During the growing period of nasturtium, if fertilizer and water management is poor, it often tends to develop long internodes and yellow leaves, thin stems and small leaves, or lush branches and leaves but few flowers. For this reason, nasturtium should not be given too much nitrogen fertilizer, to avoid excessive vegetative growth of branches and leaves. During growth, generally apply a dilute well-rotted cake fertilizer solution at 15% concentration once every 3-4 weeks. During flowering, stop applying nitrogen fertilizer and instead apply 0.5% superphosphate once every half month, which can make the leaves emerald green and the flowers abundant. After the flowers fade, apply once a 25% concentration of well-rotted cake fertilizer solution to replenish the nutrients consumed by flowering. In hot summer weather, stop fertilizing; in late autumn, apply one more compound wintering fertilizer to enhance the plant's cold resistance and lay a foundation for the next year's growth. After each fertilization, be sure to loosen the soil in time to improve the air permeability of the potting soil and benefit root development.

Watering is a routine management task; the number of waterings and the amount of water should be determined according to the weather and the plant's growth. During the summer stem growth period, water more; in spring and autumn, generally water once every other day; in summer, water once a day, and spray water on the branches and leaves once every evening to maintain relatively high air humidity and keep the plant growing robustly. When flower buds appear, the number of waterings should be appropriately reduced, but each watering can be more generous, so that the potting soil alternates between dry and moist. After flowering, watering should be reduced; if too much water is given at this time, the branches will grow too vigorously, and the next flowering will be sparse and pale.

Nasturtium likes plenty of sunlight and cannot tolerate shade. In spring and autumn, it should be grown in a sunny place; in summer, provide appropriate shading, and in midsummer place it in a cool, ventilated spot. In northern regions, bring it indoors in mid-October and keep it in a sunny place. At the same time, the flowers and leaves of nasturtium are strongly phototropic, so when growing or displaying it, change its position frequently to make it grow evenly.

The suitable growing temperature is 18-24°C. It does not bloom easily in high summer temperatures, and growth is inhibited above 35°C. It is not cold-tolerant and can endure short periods at 0°C. It likes warmth and humidity, and the overwintering temperature should be above 10°C.

To make nasturtium have plump leaves and beautiful flowers, it is also necessary to set up a support in good time, tie the trailing stems evenly onto a bamboo frame, and make all the leaves face one direction. The size of the frame should be such that the vines and leaves can cover it in the later growth stage. As the trailing stems grow, tie them in time, taking care to distribute the trailing stems evenly on the support so that the flowers can also be evenly distributed. To encourage more branching and achieve the goal of lush leaves and many flowers, before putting it on the frame, besides keeping the main stem and strong side branches, also pinch out the growing tips.

Nasturtium has relatively few pests and diseases, but it is susceptible to aphids and **lice, so attention should be paid to spraying pesticides for control.

Nasturtium gets its name because its leaf shape resembles bowl lotus and its flowers are mostly orange-red. When in full bloom, it is like a swarm of butterflies dancing, a scene full of vitality. The flowering period is summer and autumn, with the most abundant blooming in the hot summer months of July~August.

If the room temperature is kept at 16~24°C in winter and early spring, it can bloom continuously all year round. In addition, if you want it to bloom during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, you can sow it in August of the previous year; if you want to enjoy the flowers during the “May Day” holiday, you can sow it indoors in December of the previous year.

If you want to view the flowers during National Day, sow at the end of May or the beginning of June, and provide timely shading in hot weather or move it to a cool, ventilated place to grow; if you want it to bloom in early spring from February~March, sow indoors in October of the previous year, keep the room temperature at around 15°C, and pot it up when it has 3~4 true leaves to achieve the goal.

Illustrated tutorial on growing nasturtium from seeds

Nasturtium is a common indoor potted plant. If we have nasturtium seeds, how do we use them to grow a pot of nasturtium, and what points should be noted when growing nasturtium from seeds? Below is a summary of the method for growing nasturtium from seeds with illustrated examples, hoping to help gardening friends who are about to grow nasturtium.

Generally sow in March, and it blooms in July-August; sow in June, and it blooms during National Day; sow in September, and it blooms during the Spring Festival; sow in December, and it blooms during the “May Day” holiday.

The suitable germination temperature is 18-20°C. Before sowing, soak the seeds in water at about 40°C for 1 day, keep the temperature at 18~20°C, and they will germinate in a week. Sow in spots, cover with about 1 cm of soil, water thoroughly and keep moist, and they will sprout in 7 days. When there are 2-3 true leaves, pinch out the growing tips and pot them up, and arrange the leaves and branches appropriately to improve ventilation and expose the flowers.

It likes a warm, humid, sunny climate. It tolerates partial shade, is not drought-tolerant, not waterlogging-tolerant and not cold-tolerant, and the overwintering temperature should not be lower than 10°C. It is highly adaptable to soil and grows well in well-drained, organic-rich sandy soil. Its flowers and leaves are strongly phototropic, so turn the pot frequently when growing it.

1. In early October, when the temperature is basically between 22-24°C and the autumn air is crisp, it is the most suitable time for sowing.

2. Nasturtium seeds remain viable for only 5 years, and old seeds have a low germination rate, so when sowing, try to choose fresh seeds.

3. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm or cold water for 24 hours, gently peel off the outer coat, and then use a paper towel to promote germination.

4. For germination, be sure to use unscented paper towels and purified water (cooled boiled water is also fine); generally the root tip appears in about 2-7 days (the germination time varies depending on the variety and temperature).

5. For seedling raising, transparent disposable plastic cups are highly recommended, wrapped on the outside with thick paper to prevent direct sunlight on the roots (recommended because it is convenient for water and fertilizer management and allows direct observation of growth).

6. When the root system has basically filled the cup, it can be transplanted and planted out; for planting out, an 18-20 cm pot can be used.

7. When the plant has 4 true leaves, carry out the first pinching, removing 2 true leaves and leaving 2, and continue growing. If the plant branches well, then only one more pinching is needed. However, some varieties have weak branching ability and need multiple pinchings to achieve the ideal plant shape. In this case, when the side branches grow 4 true leaves, carry out the second pinching.

8. Nasturtium has a relatively weak demand for nitrogen fertilizer during growth. In order to make it bloom early and bloom more, during the growing period use a diluted potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution every 10 days to water the roots or spray the leaves, or alternate between the two.

9. After flowering, if you do not keep seeds, promptly remove the spent flowers to help new flower buds form.

10. When grown outdoors in warm spring, it tends to set seeds; indoor care requires artificial pollination. Artificial pollination is best done on a sunny morning. When the stamens release pollen and the pistil is in a “human” shape, dip up the pollen and apply it to the pistil. Pollination can be done between the same flower or different flowers. After pollination, the flower will wither quickly. When the flower stalk bends into a spiral shape, it indicates successful pollination.

11. Mature seeds will fall off on their own. At this point, dry the seeds in the sun and then store them in a cool place.