Such a flower as nasturtium is able to decorate any personal plot. Moreover, in the care of this plant is quite unpretentious. Therefore, to grow nasturtium on your own is quite simple and enjoyable: even a novice amateur gardener can do this .
This sunny flower fits perfectly into absolutely any floral arrangement, creating a bright emphasis on the flowerbed. The gazebo or the wall of the house, decorated with long curly varieties, are transformed for the better. Urban residents can also successfully use nasturtium flowers (growing and caring for them are described below) to give their balconies a more attractive look.
What is nasturtium
Nasturtium, whose homeland is South and Central America, is a plant that can be grown both annually (this state of affairs is typical for Russia due to the climate that does not differ in warm winters), and as perennial (in those countries where temperatures allow the beauty from the tropics stay in the soil for the winter). Also in use is another name for the flower (more ancient), namely, capuchin. He got this name because the buds resembled the hoods of monks.
You can see nasturtiums either in the form of a shrub or in the form of a climbing vine with a thick stem. Flowers (double or semi-double), reaching in diameter 70 mm, as a rule, yellow, orange or red. And the green shiny leaves have subtle veins.
On a note! Varieties with variegated leaves exist.
Useful properties of the plant
In addition to the fact that nasturtium is beautiful, it can be eaten without any fear (all parts of the plant, except the roots, are edible).
She also has a large list of useful (healing) properties:
- anti-inflammatory;
- antiseptic;
- diuretic;
- expectorant;
- laxatives.
Therefore, nasturtium is used to treat kidney stone disease, anemia, skin rash, vitamin deficiency, scurvy, metabolic disorders, bronchitis, atherosclerosis, and also with the help of the plant, blood circulation can be improved.
Important! Remember: an overdose of the drug can lead to significant irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa. People with a stomach ulcer or gastritis should not use this plant to treat their diseases.
Nasturtium cultivation
In Russia, nasturtium is propagated:
- The seeds. A very common method. Growing nasturtium through seeds is done using seedlings, as well as without it (directly immediately into the open ground).
- Cuttings (i.e., vegetatively). This method, with the help of which terry plant species are propagated, allows not to lose varietal characteristics. Cuttings are rooted in water or moist sand.
Seedling cultivation
Growing flowers using this method allows you to enjoy flowering much earlier than if the seeds were sown directly in the open ground. Either peat pots or any suitable container for this purpose (for example, sour cream or ryazhenka cups) is used to plant seeds for seedlings.
Important! Due to the fact that nasturtium can not boast of a developed root system, planting seeds should not be done in a common container. This should be done exclusively in separate pots, so that in the future not to carry out picking, which can negatively affect the state of the roots.
Growing nasturtium at home is not difficult. You need only desire, and you will succeed.
Cooking seeds
The timing of planting nasturtium seedlings in late April and early May. A few days before planting, it is worth taking care of seeds, which, by the way, retain their germination for 4 years:
- Planting material can be wrapped in a damp cloth and hold it in this form for 2-3 days.
- You can soak for one day the seeds in hot water (about 40-50 degrees).
- Some gardeners recommend placing the planting material for 10-12 hours in the Epina solution (or another with a similar effect).
Seeds can either be purchased in specialized stores (and proven manufacturers), or collect independently.
On a note! Remember: when growing nasturtium from seeds collected with your own hands, some varietal characteristics of the plant may be lost. This primarily relates to terry species.
How to Collect Nasturtium Seeds
Make it easy. Seeds fully ripen when they become whitish from green and are easily separated from the peduncle. Planting material must be collected before it begins to fall to the ground.
On a note! Seeds of all types of plants have time to ripen to frost. The exception is foreign nasturtium. Seeds of this species are harvested unripe: "to condition" they reach already at home.
Planting material should be stored in paper bags or cardboard boxes.
Planting seeds
The work algorithm is as follows:
- Pour the soil mixture into the pots.
- We make recesses in which we spread 2-3 seeds.
- We deepen planting material by 1-2 cm.
- We close the holes with earth and slightly compact.
- Carefully water.
- Cover with a transparent plastic wrap or glass and put in a warm place (temperature should be about 20-22 degrees).
- After the first shoots appear, remove the film, transfer the seedlings to a brighter place. But the temperature should not exceed 18 degrees. Watch for this.
Important! First: immediately after planting, the seeds should be watered only with warm water. Second: an excess of liquid is unacceptable (if it appears, check the drainage). And one more tip: do not spray the seedlings, as they need dry air.
Transplanting plants in open ground
It is possible to plant grown seedlings of nasturtium in the open ground when the danger of night frost has passed, and stable heat has arrived. As a rule, this is the end of May and the beginning of June (in particularly severe climatic regions - June 10-12). In this case, it is necessary to remember the features of growing nasturtium and follow certain recommendations:
- Since the flower is very photophilous, we highlight it in a personal plot illuminated and protected from the wind. In the shade, the plant does not give that magnificent flowering, which it is capable of.
- Due to the very weak root system, nasturtium seedlings are transplanted into the open ground together with a peat cup or an earthen lump (when using a plastic container).
- The distance between plants should be about 30 cm for bush varieties and about 50 cm for climbers.
- Nasturtium growing conditions require mandatory weed removal. But if you mulch the bed after planting seedlings, then you do not have to deal with this boring thing.
- In case of night cooling, we cover the seedlings (for example, with plastic wrap).
- With the onset of autumn, we burn the tops from cut flowers, and we dig the plot in the usual way.
If all the requirements of agricultural technology of nasturtium are met, then after 15-30 days (after planting in open beds) the first flowers will appear, which will delight you until the autumn frosts.
On a note! If there is no need to collect seeds, then we remove all dried flowers.
Soil mix for nasturtium
When growing nasturtium, a very important point is the preparation of the soil. The plant grows well and develops on moderately fertile soils with a slightly acidic environment. When grown on poor lands, the leaves become small, and the buds lose their decorative effect. On soils heavy and waterlogged, the root system of nasturtium dies. Organics are also not good for the plant, as it only contributes to the growth of green mass (to the detriment of flowers).
Watering Recommendations
Basic requirements for the adoption of "water procedures":
- Young crops should be watered with warm water sparingly, but regularly.
Important! Do not forget: with excess moisture, many leaves form, but few flowers.
- After the appearance of flowers, it is enough to simply moisten the soil.
- Every day (especially in hot weather) monitor the condition of the soil: irrigate as soon as the soil becomes friable and dry.
A little about feeding
Frequent and plentiful feeding of nasturtium is not needed: in this case a lot of green mass appears, and very few flowers (or they disappear completely). It is enough to feed plants with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers once a month (for example, dissolve 30 g of nitrophoska in 10 liters of water and pour with this solution).
Important! Nasturtium should not be fed with organic fertilizers that promote the growth of leaves, not flowers.
About plant pests and its diseases
Cabbage flies, Colorado potato beetles, whiteflies and other harmful insects bypass, or rather, fly around nasturtium. For some reason they do not like her. Very well.
But some diseases still prevail over plants. These include:
- Gray rot in the form of brown spots on the leaves.
- Black spots (similar to rust) or mottled stains of a mosaic character.
If these manifestations are caused by the fact that the plants either do not have enough light, or they are too waterlogged, or lack nutrients, then this can be corrected by replanting the flowers in a more sunny place, reducing the “water procedures” or feeding the nitrophos. If the cause is a viral disease, then only drastic measures will help: the plants affected by the disease must be removed from the beds, burn them, and the garden tool must be disinfected. To treat healthy flowers with special preparations (fungicide), and shed the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Important! In addition to all of the above methods of combating viral diseases, we must not forget about the fight against insects (for example, spider mites or cruciferous flea), which can be peddlers. For these purposes, you can use such chemicals as "Aktara" or "Decis", as well as folk remedies - tobacco dust or wood ash.
Method of growing without seedlings
Despite the fact that nasturtium does not tolerate frosts, sometimes its seeds planted in open ground can still withstand small low temperatures and at the same time completely maintain their germination. Therefore, the method of growing nasturtium without the use of seedlings has a right to exist.
It is necessary to plant seeds in open ground at the end of May, lowering 2-3 seeds to each hole to a depth of 20 mm (in increments of 200-300 mm). If there is a danger of return frosts, then do not rush to plant nasturtium. To accelerate the emergence of seedlings, some gardeners resort to this method - they spill the land allocated for plants with hot water (40-50 degrees), then sow the seeds and cover with a plastic wrap.
On a note! At night, the sown area can be additionally covered with non-woven material. Only from June 1-12, you can leave young plants open.
Growing Nasturtium Alaska
An annual beautiful plant (30 to 40 cm high, 7 cm across the bud), which has a delicate pleasant aroma and fairly bright flowers of various colors, is perfect for the design of flower beds, balconies, borders and flower boxes (outside residential buildings). Flowering can be enjoyed from June until the frost. A distinctive feature is light green leaves (irregular shape) with white spots. The plant responds well to heat and light.
Sowing planting material can be carried out in open ground. The seed placement depth is about 15 mm. Before sowing, planting material must be soaked for 24 hours. Growing Alaska nasturtium from seeds suggests the presence of light and moderately fertile soil.
It is recommended to make frequent and regular watering in the initial period of plant growth, and after flowering - only if the soil dries. Complex mineral fertilizers need to be fed infrequently - once every 8-10 days, and only before flowering.
Nasturtium Maiden Beauty
An annual photophilous and thermophilic plant of the Nasturtium family (about 30 cm high) is a bush (about 35-40 cm in diameter). It has semi-double flowers (buds - 5-6 cm across) of three colors (yellow, orange and red). Lush flowering - from June to the start of frost.
Cultivation of nasturtium Maiden beauty suggests the presence of moist and moderately fertile soils. Although in general the plant is characterized by unpretentiousness. Flowers can be grown both with seedlings and without them (seeds germinate well when planted on open beds).
For growing seedlings of nasturtium, Maiden Beauty is perfect for both pots and tablets of peat, and simple plastic cups.
Advice! Nasturtium is very painful for any transplant. Therefore, we recommend giving preference to peat pots in view of the fact that seedlings can be transplanted with them for “permanent residence”.
The best time for sowing seeds is the period from late April to mid-May.
As for the cultivation of low-growing seed nasturtium and caring for it, they are identical to the method described above.
Nasturtium Curly
This type of plant sometimes grows up to 3-4 meters. Nasturtium Curly (or Foreign) is very different from the traditional form: small (only 3-4 cm across) bright yellow flowers have carved corrugated petals (that is, a fringe along the edge), and the leaves are very dissected.
On a note! The plant is characterized by rapid growth, but there is a danger that the seeds may not sprout in a cold climate.
It is recommended to sow the plant in May "for permanent residence", and at the end of April - in pots of peat for seedlings. The plot for the flowers should be selected sunny and calm. In the shade, nasturtium can grow, only it will not bloom. Remember this.
What doesn’t like the Curly Nasturtium? Excess moisture and fresh manure (i.e. organic fertilizers are excluded). But growing Curly Nasturtium involves the use of a solution of potassium humate (exclusively for flowers) as a top dressing.
Important! The concentration of the solution should comply with the recommendations from the manufacturer.
In the distribution network, this type of nasturtium is sold under the name Canary Nasturtium (or Canary Liana).
Finally
Based on the foregoing, it is obvious that growing nasturtium from seeds, planting and caring for it is not such a difficult task. Go ahead and enjoy it. You should try both methods (seedlings and seedlings) of growing such a fun and sunny flower like nasturtium. If you succeed, you can share your experience with nasturtium cultivation with others. Each variety of plot for each garden or vegetable garden owner chooses depending on preferences and tastes.