Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) is a genus of plants belonging to the Capuchin family. The origin is Peruvian. There are about 80 species. It used to be popular, but recently it is rarely found in flowerbeds and in balcony drawers. But in vain, it is not only highly decorative, but also very useful. It is used in the preparation and decoration of dishes, as well as in traditional medicine.
There are many varieties of this plant. Among them there are compact bush forms about 35 cm high and curly with shoots up to 3 m. The leaves also vary significantly: plain green, variegated, purple, with hatching or spots. Flowers are simple or double, of various colors - dark red, scarlet, pink, orange, yellow, salmon, cream.
Beginner gardeners often wonder how to plant nasturtium. It can be sown for seedlings or immediately in open ground, but in May, when the soil warms up. Its seeds are large; it is desirable to soak them for a day in hot (55 ° C) water. It is necessary to sow to a depth of 4 cm, it is desirable to place 2 seeds in each well. Shoots appear, as a rule, within two weeks. In case of return frosts, they need to be covered with something, for example, with an agrospan.
When growing seedlings, it is advisable to sow the seeds in separate containers, because the root system painfully responds to injury. Flowering plants begins 45 days after germination and can last up to freezing, if wilted flowers are removed. If you want to collect the seeds, wait about 50 days to bloom.
It prefers moist fertile soils and sunny places of nasturtium. Growing and leaving with an excess of nitrogen fertilizers will lead to the formation of a large green mass and weak flowering. And she needs phosphorus top dressing, especially during the formation and blooming of buds. To form a large number of flowers, watering from the moment of blooming should be minimized.
The
nasturtium is poorly tolerated
, the cultivation and care of which should be carried out without thickening the plantings. Otherwise, its shoots are exposed from below, and decorativeness drops sharply. The optimal distance between plants is about 25 cm. Extra shoots with an earthen lump can be transferred to another place.
Ampel nasturtium looks very impressive in hanging flower pots. And if you grow Tropaeolum peregrinum, called Canarian or foreign, then all guests will be surprised at this miracle. Its whips are long, the leaves are small and dissected. The flowers are medium-sized, bright yellow with green spurs, and the petals are corrugated. She does not look much like her relatives.
Essentially a perennial plant - nasturtium. The cultivation and care in our country in connection with the cold winters is carried out like a summer man. But if desired, especially liked copies can be saved until the next season. To do this, before freezing, they need to be dug up with minimal loss of roots and planted in some container. Place in a cool, bright place; rarely water.
A good assistant to summer residents is nasturtium. Growing and caring for this plant helps in the fight against vegetable pests. This wonderful flower planted in a greenhouse between tomatoes can scare whiteflies. And for butterfly whites, nasturtium serves as the object on which they lay their eggs without damaging the cabbage. Earthen fleas also like its juicy leaves, it turns out that she "takes a hit on herself", allowing vegetable crops to grow intact.
Nasturtium is very diverse. Growing and caring for different forms can be used for various purposes. Shrub forms are usually planted in the foreground of flower beds and mixborders. Curly varieties cover unsightly fences or dried trees, for which purpose only a trunk with a part of skeletal branches is specifically left.
According to an old belief, nasturtium protects from disappointments in business and personal relations. Growing and caring for it relieves stress and overwork. Plant this wonderful plant, it will bring you not only beauty and benefits, but also peace of mind.