Nasturtium gold Scythian cultivation. How to grow nasturtium from seeds and properly care for the plant in the open field? Photo gallery: nasturtium varieties that decorate the home garden

A real find for a novice gardener is the modest nasturtium. Simple and undemanding, it is able to give the garden a sea of ​​\u200b\u200bjoyful and bright sunny colors. Charged with its positive energy and inhaling a pleasant unobtrusive aroma, you can no longer refuse the pleasure of seeing this flower in your area. We will tell you in detail how to grow nasturtium from seeds, when and how to plant, water, fertilize, so that even a beginner can cope with this task.

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) is an annual or perennial plant of the Nasturtium family, it can be herbaceous or semi-shrub. The homeland of nasturtium is Central and South America, therefore our climate is cold for it and it cannot winter with us, respectively, and is grown only as an annual.

The ancient name of this plant "capuchin" is very characteristic, as the flowers resemble monastic hoods.

Nasturtiums came to Europe in the 16th century and won the hearts of many flower lovers. Not only the shape of the flower is beautiful - a bright cup with a spur at the bottom, consisting of five orange-yellow-red large petals, the leaves are also very decorative. They are alternately arranged on a fleshy stem, have a rounded shape, and, as it were, are slightly covered with a wax coating. In a group planting, they form a pretty openwork greenery. Nasturtium blooms from July until the first frost. The fruit consists of three rounded wrinkled seeds that remain viable for 5 years.

Scientists have now recorded about 90 types of nasturtium, but in our climate only a few are used for decorative floriculture.

• Nasturtium big(Tropaeolum majus) - the most common species in our country. The stems are fleshy, fragile, in climbing varieties creeping (250-300 cm), and in bush varieties a little creeping erect (20-70 cm). Thyroid round leaves of irregular shape are quite large (up to 8 cm), the lower part is slightly smoky. The flowers are simple or double, fragrant, of various shades of yellow-red. Gives a good self-seeding. Large nasturtium has many varieties. For example, Peach Melba nasturtium (40 cm), undersized Ladybug nasturtium (25 cm), and Cherry Rose nasturtium (40 cm) are very popular.

Nasturtium large "Peach Melba"
Nasturtium large "Cherry rose"

Climbing forms are vividly illustrated by the "May" nasturtium, with yellow or orange-salmon double flowers on three-meter shoots, as well as the fast-growing winding "Yeti" nasturtium (2 m).

Of the varietal mixtures, the Day and Night nasturtium (40 cm) is very effective, which includes seeds of two contrasting shades of nasturtium: lemon-cream and dark red. Another mixture of "Nymph" with two-meter shoots is also popular.

Shield nasturtium

• Shield nasturtium(Tropaeolum peltophorum) is a perennial shrub up to 4 m tall, grown in our area as an annual, although it blooms all year round in its homeland. Green, dark-colored leaves have an irregular rounded shape. The flowers are similar to large nasturtium, deep red, there are varieties with golden and orange color. But of the varieties we have described only undersized (25 cm) "Lucifer".

• Nasturtium cultural(Tropaeolum cultorum) - this species combines hybrids derived from nasturtium large and shield-bearing. They are annual plants with shield-like leaves of purple or green color. Fragrant flowers are simple or double, medium in size (up to 5 cm), can have any shades of yellow-red. Plants of this species can be dwarf (15-20 cm), compact (up to 50 cm), climbing or creeping (up to 4 m).

Of course, this species is replete with a variety of varieties. Very original miniature (20-25 cm) nasturtium "Alaska". The climbing mix "Out of Africa" ​​(or "African Queen") with marbled leaves will surprise you.

Nasturtium cultural "Alaska"
Nasturtium cultural "Out of Africa" ​​(or "African Queen")

This species has varieties with particularly long shoots. For example, the Long Climbing nasturtium grows up to 3.5 m, and the Python variety even up to 4 m.

Nasturtium cultural "Margaret Long"

There are special, densely doubled varieties that are simply magnificent, but they only reproduce vegetatively. These are soft apricot "Margaret Long", fiery red "Hermina Grashof", golden yellow "Darjeeling Gold".

• Nasturtium foreign(Tropaeolum peregrinum) - a climbing herbaceous plant, grows up to 3.5 m. This species is very different in leaf and flower shape from traditional ones. The leaves are strongly dissected, and small (4 cm) flowers are rich yellow with greenish spurs and corrugated carved petals. A fast-growing species, but the seeds in our climate may not ripen. It is sold under the names "Canarian Liana" or "Canary" nasturtium.

Nasturtium foreign "Canarian liana"

• Nasturtium small(Tropaeolum minus) or dwarf - a herbaceous plant, has low branched stems (15-35 cm) with a groove. The leaves are traditionally rounded, small, located on long cuttings. Small yellow flowers (3 cm) have dark spots, velvety upper petals and a slightly curved spur.
• There are nasturtiums and tuberous species. In temperate climates, some of them are grown as annuals. This tuberous nasturtium(Tropaeolum tuberosum), nasturtium multifolia(Tropaeolum polyphyllum), beautiful nasturtium(Tropaeolum speciosum), nasturtium tricolor(Tropaeolum tricolorum).

Nasturtium multifolia
Nasturtium tricolor

Tuberous nasturtium has a variety known to us - Ken Aslet.

Reproduction methods

Tuberous nasturtium and other similar species reproduce by dividing the tuber, but since they are practically not used in our area, we will not consider this process in detail.

The root nasturtium of interest to us can be propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Vegetative propagation is carried out by rooting young cuttings. To do this, use wet sand or just water. This method is rarely used, in cases where it is necessary to propagate rare specimens or to preserve valuable varietal characteristics.

The easiest and most common way is to grow nasturtium from seeds.

Nasturtium seeds

Seeds can be collected from existing plants, the main thing is not to miss the moment. At first, the fruits are greenish, and as they ripen, they turn white. When the three seeds that make up the fruit begin to separate, they must be plucked. In all the species described above, the seeds ripen well, the only exception is foreign nasturtium. Its seeds ripen already plucked. Store well-dried nasturtium seeds in paper bags.

It is important to remember that when propagating with self-collected seeds, as with self-sowing, some varietal features may be lost. First of all, this applies to terry specimens; it is better to purchase their seeds in specialized stores.

Nasturtium in the country will not only decorate the landscape, protect other plants, but also bring practical benefits. Firstly, it is edible, most often used in cooking as a spice. Secondly, it has medicinal properties. It has long been used to treat scurvy. It is also a wonderful antiseptic, gives a good antitussive and expectorant effect. Used in folk medicine for the treatment of kidney diseases, has a positive effect on blood circulation. Strengthens hair.

In addition to useful properties, there are also contraindications. Nasturtium should not be used (or done very carefully) by people suffering from gastritis or stomach ulcers. Since its use, like most spices, leads to irritation of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.

Now you know what a wonderful nasturtium flower it is, in addition to being highly decorative and useful, it is also very easy to care for. We told you how to grow nasturtium correctly. Now you need to buy seeds and wait for the onset of warm days so that a magical flower that absorbs the sun settles on your site.

The herbaceous plant nasturtium or capuchin has excellent decorative, taste and healing characteristics, and is also distinguished by its unpretentiousness and long flowering. Due to this, the flower is very much appreciated among flower growers and is grown as an ornamental and medicinal plant in home gardens and summer cottages.

The plant was called capuchin due to the fact that its flowers look like a hood. Thanks to breeders, many new varieties of nasturtium have been bred, so capuchin flowers can be simple, semi-double and double. They consist of sepals and petals, which can be more than five. Inside each bud is a funnel-shaped tube with nectar. The color of flowers can be yellow, orange, red, yellow-red, orange-yellow.

Capuchin flowers are formed on fleshy stems, which are covered with numerous shield-shaped or palmately divided alternate, lobed leaves.

The nasturtium plant itself can be a shrub or liana that can be grown both in open ground flower beds and on a balcony. The leaves, flowers and stems of nasturtium have healing properties and nutritional value. We wrote about the medicinal properties of capuchin and its use in our article “If you still grow capuchin only as an ornamental plant, after studying this article you will definitely want to use it as a useful medicinal plant.

How to grow nasturtium?

Capuchin seeds can be planted immediately in open ground or for seedlings. In order for flowering to begin already at the beginning of summer, gardeners in Siberia, the Urals and the northern regions grow nasturtium in seedlings.

When to plant nasturtium in 2020 according to the lunar calendar

Capuchin seedlings are planted about a month before planting in open ground in a flower bed. Since the flower is afraid of frost, then in the Urals and Siberia seeds for seedlings are sown in April-May, in order to plant seedlings in the garden in late May or early June.

In the Lower Volga region and Central Russia nasturtium can be planted on seedlings already in March, and in the ground - from April to June, after the soil warms up and warm days are established.

Auspicious days for sowing nasturtium seeds in 2020 according to the lunar calendar:

• March: 2, 3, 27, 28, 30 and 31;
• April: 1, 2, 6, 7, 24, 28, 29;
• May: 3-6, 25, 26, 30;
• June (immediately into the ground): 1, 2, 3, 4.

Unfavorable days for landing in 2020:

• 7, 8, 9, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26 March;
• 3-5, 8, 16 and 17, 21, 22 and 23 April;
• 1, 2, 7, 9, 10, 13-15, 18-20, 22 May;
• 5, 6, 10, 11 June.

Planting nasturtium in the ground

In order for the flowering of capuchin to be plentiful, a well-lit place is chosen for it. The soil in the flower bed should be fertile, light and slightly acidic. However, when fertilizing, you should not get carried away with organic matter, otherwise the plants will have a lot of greenery and few flowers. It is not recommended to plant nasturtium in a lowland, where water stagnates after rains and irrigation.

Nasturtium seeds are large, so they are easy to sow. Before sowing, they are soaked for a day to swell in wet gauze, a cloth or warm water.

In a flowerbed for climbing nasturtium, holes are made with a distance of 40-50 cm, and for bush - 20-30 cm. It is recommended to plant 2-3 seeds in each hole, which are covered with earth and watered with water from a watering can with a shower head. Until shoots appear, the bed can be covered with polyethylene. It is better to cover young seedlings at night with non-woven material or film.

Capuchins planted in the ground will bloom about a month or a half after germination.

Planting nasturtium for seedlings

The roots of capuchins are delicate and fragile, so it is better not to sow seeds in seedling boxes. Experienced gardeners recommend growing nasturtium seedlings in peat pots, containers, or disposable cups so as not to disturb the roots of the plant when picking.

Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in cups for a day, after which they are placed in flower moist soil to a depth of 2 cm, two or three seeds each. When the seedlings sprout and grow up, the weak seedlings are pruned.

Crops are sprayed with water, covered with a film and put on a bright windowsill with an air temperature of at least +20 degrees. Every day, the shelter needs to be removed for a few minutes and the soil moisture checked. After about two weeks, shoots should appear, which are placed in a cooler, well-lit place. If the seedlings do not have enough light and it stretches out, then after planting in open ground, the nasturtium will recover for a long time, and its flowering will begin much later.

Transplanting

As soon as warm weather sets in and the last frosts pass, capuchins can be planted in a flower garden.

How to plant nasturtium correctly? This should be done carefully so as not to damage the fragile roots. Therefore, before planting in a flower bed, the plants are watered, after which they are taken out of the cups along with a clod of earth, placed in prepared holes, covered with soil mixture and watered. If the seedlings grew in peat pots, then they are placed in the pits along with the pots. The distance between the holes should be the same as when sowing capuchins in open ground.

About ten days before planting in the ground, seedlings gradually begin to harden off. But even after that, in the first days after planting in a flower bed, it is recommended to cover the plants with a film or non-woven material at night.

Features of care

Caring for nasturtium is quite simple, but you need to know some rules for growing this plant:

1. Watering. It is recommended to water young specimens with plenty of warm water. When buds appear on the bushes, the frequency of watering is reduced and the soil is moistened only after the top layer has dried.
2. Weeding. Weeds must be removed throughout the season. It is necessary to clean the flower bed from weed grass especially carefully in the first month after planting the capuchins in the ground, otherwise the weeds will crush the young plants.
3. Feeding nasturtium. Capuchins should be fertilized rarely, without using organic matter and nitrogen-containing top dressing. Before flowering, once a week, fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is carried out. Then, about once a month, the bushes are watered with a solution of Nitrofoska or Agricola Rose fertilizer.
4. Pruning. In order for flowering to be long and abundant, faded buds must be removed in a timely manner. If you want to get seeds, then it will be enough to leave a few flowers, from which fruits with seeds will form.

Pests and diseases

Like any other outdoor plant, capuchin can be affected by various diseases and harmful insects. If the nasturtium does not bloom or its leaves turn yellow, you should carefully examine the plant.

Of the diseases, nasturtium often affects:

1. Mosaic - the disease is manifested by variegated stains on the leaves.
2. Rust - signs of the disease are black or brown spots.
3. Gray rot - manifested by dry brown spots.
4. Bacterial wilt is a disease in which the lower leaves first weaken, and then the entire plant gradually begins to fade.

At the first signs of any of the diseases, it is recommended to treat the plants with special fungicidal preparations. If they do not help, then the diseased bushes are pulled out and burned so that they do not infect healthy plants.

Capuchin repels many pests, so Colorado beetles, aphids, whiteflies and many other harmful insects are not afraid of him. Plants can be affected by spider mites, cruciferous fleas, cabbage moths, whites. You can get rid of pests with the help of insecticidal preparations. The most dangerous enemy of nasturtium is the bear, which is capable of destroying everything from roots to leaves. These insects can be destroyed with folk remedies or special chemicals sold in the store.

Even a novice gardener can grow a very beautiful and useful nasturtium flower on his site. You can also plant a plant on the balcony, which will be decorated with numerous bright capuchin flowers all summer.

Characteristics and features of growing nasturtium

South America is considered the birthplace of nasturtium, more precisely, the slopes of the Andes. Here it grows as a perennial. In our country, this beauty cannot winter, therefore it is cultivated as an annual plant that loves warmth and light, non-capricious and drought-resistant.

The shape of the flower is like a hood. Therefore, when these plants were brought from Holland to Russia, they were called capuchins for a long time. But the Latin name, which sounds like Tropaeolum, was invented by Carl Linnaeus. And this name can be translated as “little trophy”. This is the favorite flower of the French painter Claude Monet; in his garden near Paris, large areas were given to this plant. Now there are already more than 90 types of nasturtiums, many of them are represented by shrubs or vines with succulent shoots. The leaves are rounded, lobed, with an entire margin, palmate or shield-shaped. The flowers are bisexual, with a characteristic aroma, simple or with several rows of petals - double, semi-double. There are five petals (or more), the same number of sepals and a funnel-like tube containing nectar. The flowers are painted in orange, deep yellow raspberry, cream, salmon or red. The fruit has three wrinkled kidney-shaped lobes; seeds of a rounded kidney-shaped form ripen in them. The plant is endowed with healing properties, its parts are used in cooking (in savory seasonings, salads). Nasturtium is rich in ascorbic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, carotene, iodine, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, phytoncides, plant antibiotics. It has been scientifically proven that nature endowed nasturtium with medicinal properties: diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, expectorant, laxative. Cosmetologists advise people suffering from acne and boils to wipe their faces with a tincture made from succulent nasturtium leaves. To strengthen the hair, this tincture can be rubbed into the roots of the hair follicles. By the way, the smell of capuchins planted in the country repels many pests - the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, cabbage caterpillars, whiteflies, nematodes, rodents. In those gardens where they found a place for nasturtium, the number of these pests decreases. There is evidence that capuchins protect potatoes from late blight, protect vegetables from viral and fungal infections.

You should know that it is impossible to place nasturtium in the open field early, otherwise even weak frosts will cause irreparable harm to it. In those places where a lot of sun hits the nasturtium, it blooms very plentifully. But in partial shade on this plant many large leaves are formed, but few buds. The soil of nasturtium is loose, moderately moist, where water will not stagnate. For example, sandy or loamy soils. In too fertile lands, this elegant plant "fattens", that is, it produces armfuls of leaves, but very few flowers. Before flowering, nasturtium needs abundant and frequent watering. But when the flowers open, the amount of water should be reduced, otherwise the green mass will continue to grow, but you will not see an abundance of flowers. Fresh manure cannot be used to feed plants, but potassium and phosphate fertilizers stimulate the budding process very well.

Variety of nasturtiums

The most common types of nasturtium:

1. Large - can grow as a shrub, reaching a height of 80 centimeters, or as a liana, the bare stems of which grow two and a half meters. The leaves are beautiful, shiny, with long petioles, their color is light green above and bluish below. Flowers (red, salmon, yellow, apricot, cream) are formed on the plant from July to October. They are large in size, about 5 centimeters. We list only a few original and noteworthy varieties: "Ladybug", "King Theodore", "Salmon Baby".
2. Small - its stems are thin, branching, reach a height of 35 centimeters. Leaves are small, thyroid. Petioles are also long and thin. Flowers in diameter no more than three centimeters, open on the plant from June until the arrival of October frosts. Effective varieties:

• "Cherry Rose" (flowers are painted bright red, terry);
• “Black Lady”, otherwise “Black Velvet” (on stems up to 30 centimeters high, maroon flowers open, simple, but large - 6 centimeters each).

1. Thyroid - this shrub has creeping stems that grow up to four meters. Dark green shoots are covered with thyroid leaves of the same color. In summer, dark red flowers appear on them. Many summer residents like the Lucifer variety, on whose upright bushes shoots of 25 centimeters grow. The leaves are large, deep green, with a reddish tinge. The simple flowers are about 6 centimeters in diameter, orange-red in color.
2. Canarian (foreign) - the shoots of this vine quickly grow to a length of more than three meters. From July to October, small yellow flowers appear on the stems, which from afar look like bright birds.
3. Cultural (hybrid) - in shape and height, these plants can be creeping, compact, dwarf. Variety examples:

• "Golden Globe" (large bright yellow double flowers open on a spherical bush);
• "Gleming Mahagani" (double flowers, painted red);
• "Moon Light" (light yellow flowers form on two-meter lashes).

The following types of nasturtium are less common in gardens: multi-leafed, ciliated, azure, tricolor, beautiful, lilac.

And a few more varieties that are in demand in flower shops:

• "Day and night" (there are two types of flowers on the plant - red and cream);
• "Vesuvius" (the flowers have an interesting color - pink, with an admixture of orange, and reddish spots are noticeable on the upper petals);
• "Yeti" (in this climbing form, the flowers are creamy white, there are yellow spots in the middle);
• "Aurora" (another climbing form that gives light orange flowers);
• "Alaska" (against the background of white-motley leaves, flowers flaunt, differing in shades of color);
• 'Royal Clauk' (often used as a groundcover or ampelous plant with ornamental leaves and red, fiery orange or yellow flowers);
• "Peach Melba" (beautiful borders with attractive cream or peach flowers are obtained);
• "Queen of India" (low bush with dark purple velvety texture flowers);
• "Canary" (yellow flowers on the stems of this vine, like funny canaries).

If you want a nasturtium with white flowers, look for the Snegurochka variety, and if with raspberry flowers, then the Ruby variety.

When to plant nasturtium?

If you want to immediately send nasturtium seeds to open ground, then you need to do this from May 15 to May 31. The main thing is that the frosts are left behind.

If you want the nasturtium to bloom early, then you need to use the seedling method. Then at home the seeds in the container should be planted in April. In the flower garden, such seedlings are placed in early June.

Growing nasturtium from seeds

Compact bushes can be planted along with ornamental cabbage and verbena near the house, in flower beds, near trees, paths, next to the rose garden. Creepers and climbing forms are suitable for hanging flowerpots that will decorate the walls of the veranda, loggia. Dwarf varieties are usually planted in balcony containers.

Foreign nasturtium with small yellow flowers looks great on arbors, trellises next to purple, blue, pink morning glory or purple petunias.

To begin with, we will analyze the seedling method of growing. To obtain strong seedlings, which then take root well, it is better to plant nasturtium seeds in such cups that have a retractable bottom. Peat pots will work too. This advice is connected with the fact that nasturtiums have delicate and fragile roots, so these plants are difficult to tolerate transplantation, and they are not picked. Another nuance - the seeds of nasturtiums are very large, protected by a thick shell. Therefore, in order to awaken the sprouts, these seeds should be placed in hot water for 24 hours. During this swelling time, change the water in the glass several times, because it will cool down. In small containers filled with a moist substrate, place three seeds in a recess in it. Sprinkle them with earth, cover with foil. On the windowsill in a warm room, the sprouts should appear after 10 days. Further, the sprouts definitely need intense light and a cool room (from 18 to 20 degrees), then they will not stretch out, the seedlings will easily transfer the movement to the flower garden. Moisten the soil in cups as needed. When the series of spring frosts has passed, you can start planting the grown nasturtium in the flower beds. The first flowers may appear on the nasturtium after planting in about forty-five days. It may happen that frosts suddenly come in June, then cover your plants with non-woven material.

If it is not possible to engage in seedlings, then immediately planting nasturtium into the ground can be done in May, focusing on weather conditions. After soaking the seeds in hot water for a day, make holes in the intended areas of the garden. Soak them in a hot solution of potassium permanganate. When it is absorbed, then put three seeds in the hole and cover with soil. The depth of embedding should not exceed two centimeters. It is advisable to put cut plastic bottles in these places, in such “mini-greenhouses” the germination and development of sprouts is accelerated.

As we have already mentioned, during the period when capuchins grow and gain strength until the buds appear, they need frequent watering. Then change the tactics of watering, moisten the soil under them only when it dries up. Weeding, mulching, periodic feeding with superphosphate or mineral complexes will benefit nasturtium. Some flower growers, in order to accelerate the growth of capuchins, increase the size of their leaf plates, spray them twice a month with water in which urea is dissolved (one matchbox per ten liters). Climbing varieties need a support to which you will tie them. Cut off faded and drying flowers, they will soon be replaced by new buds. If the variety really appeals to you, then leave a few ovaries, let the fruit ripen. In autumn, you can collect them at the moment when their color becomes beige or whitish. If you forget to collect the seeds on time, they will fall into the ground, undergo natural stratification in winter. In the spring, green sprouts will appear in these places.

If the capuchin leaves suddenly began to turn yellow, then this happens if the plant lacks minerals. Try to feed him with Azofoska. There are several diseases that can affect nasturtium:

1. Gray rot - gray-brown spots appear on the shoots and leaf plates.
2. Bacterial wilt - first the lower leaves wither, and then the upper ones.
3. Rust is a clear symptom - spots on the leaves of brown or black color, which gradually turn into tubercles.
4. Mosaic - because of this virus, a mosaic pattern appears on the leaf plates.
5. Ring spot - it is characterized by small dots on the leaves, around which there is a border of red-brown color.

Usually such diseased plants are dug up and destroyed. And those plants that were next to the sick are treated with special preparations.

Choose nasturtium to your taste - creeping, ampelous, growing in compact bushes or vertically along a support. We hope that our recommendations will help you decorate your summer cottage or loggia and enjoy the bright foliage and abundant flowering of fragrant capuchins.

Nasturtium, photo

Nasturtium is found in many household plots. It was once considered too rustic to decorate the landscape, but now it has come back into fashion and has taken its place in flower beds.

Nasturtium is planted along the garden path, in borders, grown in, and climbing varieties are allowed through buildings so that it beautifully and brightly braids gazebos and unsightly places in the country.

Often, a flower is planted next to vegetable beds so that it takes over many pests of vegetables. Whiteflies, aphids, cabbage butterflies, Colorado potato beetles and nematodes will prefer it instead of cabbage, tomatoes and phloxes, and this is due to the most delicate taste. To prevent aphids from settling on trees and rose bushes, plant nasturtium in trunk circles, then the pest will gladly settle on the flower. Some pests, on the contrary, cannot stand its aroma, so in any case, you will only win.

Place and soil

Nasturtium grows in almost any well-drained soil. Will do best in moderately fertile soil with a slightly acidic pH. She masters any area. With an excess of nitrogen in the soil, it does not stop growing, but only increases the green mass, which can be an undeniable advantage for landscaping.

Take the site illuminated and protected from the wind. In deep shade, the plant may not survive.

Planting nasturtium

Growing through seedlings for earlier flowering. In mid-April - early May, depending on the region, plant nasturtium seeds in peat-humus pots to do without a transplant, the plant does not tolerate it well. 3-4 seeds in each pot to a depth of 1 cm, after soaking them in warm water for 12-24 hours. Sprinkle with earth and lightly compact the topsoil. Pour over and cover with a cap, glass or film. Leave for germination at a temperature of 20-22°C. When seedlings appear (after 2 weeks), the temperature should be lowered to 18 ° C and additional illumination should be done so that the sprouts do not stretch. After 30 days, when it is warm outside, transplant the young plants into open ground without removing the seedlings from the pots. If from plastic cups, then try not to damage the earthen ball. If there is a threat of frost, cover the plants overnight with foil.

Planting nasturtium seeds in open ground. The sowing date is mid-May, when heat and frost are no longer expected. Before sowing for 2-3 days, place the seeds in a damp cotton cloth to swell. In the meantime, prepare holes 2 cm deep. The distance between nasturtiums of a bush variety is 25-30 cm, and for climbing varieties - 40-50 cm.

Flowering occurs 1-1.5 months after the appearance of the first shoots and lasts until frost.

Problems when growing nasturtium

Shoots of nasturtium may not appear due to:

• excessive watering;
• deep sowing of seeds;
• heavy clay soil;
• too low temperature;
• low-quality seeds (seed germination lasts 3-4 years).

The leaves of nasturtium have changed color, which means that the reason may be:

• waterlogging (stagnation of water);
• lack of light (landing in the shade);
• lack of nutrients;
• mosaic disease.

Care

Nasturtium can not be fed with fresh organic fertilizer -. Monthly fertilize with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer.

This is a heat-loving plant, therefore it is afraid of frost. At 0°C, the plant dies.

Water as needed, reduce watering during flowering. It is better to mulch the bushes, then it will be possible to water less often, only in drought.

Remove faded inflorescences in a timely manner so that new inflorescences form in their place. To collect seeds, it is enough to leave a few bushes, and when they become ashen in the peduncle, they will easily separate. Self-seeding is also possible.

In case of illness, the damaged parts are removed, and the bush itself is treated with chemicals.

In the conditions of the middle lane, nasturtium is grown as an annual. At the same time, looking at the technique of planting it and caring for it, it is difficult to call it a problem.

If you want to learn more about this plant, then watch a lecture with a description and cultivation features.