8 Reasons to Plant Nasturtiums in Your Garden
I love growing nasturtiums in my garden. Ever since I started growing my own gardens, I have tucked nasturtium seeds in with the veggies and loved the flowing plants that grow quickly along with the veggies. Read on to find out more about the 8 reasons that you should plant nasturtiums in your garden.
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When you grow nasturtiums, you are not only getting a beautiful plant, but you are getting an edible companion plant that benefits your vegetable garden in many ways. Why wouldn’t you want to tuck this plant in along in your garden?
There are two types of nasturtiums and dozens of varieties. The types are climbing or mounding dwarf – think about the space you want them in and plant accordingly. I love to have the climbing varieties flowing out of garden beds and climbing up arches, but if you only have a small spot, a mounding dwarf variety is a great option.
Reasons Why You Should Plant Nasturtiums
Easy to Grow and Low Maintenance
I find that nasturtiums are quite easy to grow. I have always waited until my last frost date, after I get all the warm season crops in the ground or raised beds to seed them by direct planting. Then I go around and pop seeds into the soil around the edges of the raised beds or in the edges or ends of rows in ground. Nasturtiums don’t really like to be bothered once they germinate, so this is why direct seeding them is the best option.
However, this year I am going to try to start some with the winter seed sowing method to see if it is worth it. Since I have had such great success with direct sowing seeds, that’s what I will mostly continue to do.
Nasturtiums don’t like to be in super intense heat. They like full sun if you are in a cooler location, but and will be ok with partial sun if you have a particularly hot growing area. They aren’t overly fussy with needing a lot of water, but make sure they get watered every now and then if there is no rain. You will see them wilt if left without water for too long.
After they get going with growing, there is nothing much I have to do to keep my nasturtiums happy. They just grow along and look beautiful all summer long until frost. No fertilizers needed and you can even plant them in soil that isn’t too fertile for them to be the most happy. In fact, if you do fertilize, be prepared for lovely greens and few blossoms.
As I said above, I love to tuck in nasturtiums into the edges of the raised beds or in ground beds. I love the slightly out of control flowing look they give a garden. The longer they go in the season, the more they spread out and make the garden look magical.
Along with being beautiful, they come in a large variety of colors. You can buy seeds for a single color like black velvet which is so luxurious. Or the Alaska gold dwarf for a pop of yellow in a smaller spot.
Some of my favorite types of nasturtium have a variety of colors in one plant. One beauty is the Alaska variegated which has beautiful variegated leaves and a variety of yellow, orange, mahogany, and cream. The fiesta blend is another favorite.
This year I am trying a new variety called peach melba. It’s a beautiful yellow/peach color with raspberry red in the middle.
Simple to Save Seeds From
Nasturtiums were the first flower that I ever saved seeds from. It was quite by accident. As I walked around my garden checking on plants, I noticed that there were little green nasturtium seeds on the ground and in the dirt surrounding the plants. I scooped them up and took them inside to dry out before storing them. Once I realized it was that easy, I was able to save seeds every year just by plucking them from the plant or waiting for them to fall to the ground.
Once you buy seeds to start growing, you should be able to save enough for the years to come.
Read About how to Save Seeds from your Garden
Nasturtiums are Edible
The blooms, seeds, and leaves are all edible from a nasturtium plant. The flowers can be used to decorate a cake, added to salad, thrown into a sandwich, or eaten by themselves. They are a bit peppery in taste even though they have a sweet flower smell.
The leaves have a lot of uses from pesto to anywhere you would use other greens like spinach. The leaves have the best flavor when they are young and tender.
Some people like to use the seeds as capers. I prefer to to save them for seeds for next year’s garden.
Attract Bees and Other Pollinators to your Garden
Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators love nasturtiums which is great for your veggies that live near the nasturtium. As a flower and vegetable gardener, you know that pollinators are essential in your garden. They will be attracted to the bright nasturtium blossoms, but stop to pollinate your other flowers and veggies which will bring large blossoms and great harvests. Hummingbirds also love nasturtiums and will provide you with another form of beauty in the garden.
Trap Crop that will Attract Pest Insects
Nasturtiums are a great tool in your organic gardening tool belt. They will repel pests such as squash bugs, borers, and whiteflies. They will also “trap” other bugs that would head to your veggies without the nasturtiums to attract them. Those pests won’t usually hurt the nasturtiums much, but will help out those other veggies a lot.
They are known to lure aphids away from crops such as brassicas (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage). To rid your nasturtiums of aphids all you need is a hose with a strong spray nozzle or a spray bottle with a soapy water solution.
It is great to plant nasturtiums all around your garden, but especially around tomatoes, squash, and radishes along with all the brassicas.
Chickens Love Them
I mostly grow plants in my garden that I love. I also make sure that I have plenty of flowers and vegetables that will feed my livestock.
One year the nasturtiums grew a bit too close to the chicken coop. The chickens just about gobbled them all up. My chickens love all parts of the plant to eat on as a snack.
Deer and Rabbit Resistant
If you have an issue with deer or rabbits munching on your garden, you won’t have to worry much about them eating your nasturtiums.
Other Gardening Blog Posts
My List of Top Annual Flowers to Plant with My Veggies
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