Bright, cheerful blooms in orange, red, and yellow with round, lily-pad-like leaves. One of the most useful plants in the garden â the flowers and leaves are both edible, with a peppery kick.
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Sunlight
Full sun to part shade
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Water
Low, drought-tolerant
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Type
Annual
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Soil
Average to poor, well-drained
Growing Basics
Nasturtium is an annual in Minnesota â frost-tender but very easy to grow once the weather warms up.
Sunlight: Full sun to part shade. Full sun produces the most flowers; part shade gives bigger leaves and slightly fewer blooms.
Soil: Average to poor, well-drained soil. Like cosmos, nasturtiums actually do worse in rich soil â too much nitrogen means masses of leaves and very few flowers.
Transplanting: Plant after your last frost date. Nasturtiums have taproots, so these plants were grown directly in their sale pots â plant the whole root ball without disturbing the roots.
Watering: Water to get established, then ease back. Nasturtiums are drought-tolerant and prefer to dry out between waterings. Overwatering promotes leaf growth over flowers.
Fertilization: Skip it, or use a very low-nitrogen formula. Rich feeding is the main reason nasturtiums don't bloom well.
Other Tips
Both the flowers and young leaves are edible with a bright, peppery flavor. Great in salads, as a garnish, or stuffed with soft cheese as an appetizer.
Makes a good companion plant near squash and cucumbers â it can draw aphids away from vegetables (acting as a "trap crop") and attracts beneficial insects.
Trailing varieties spill beautifully over containers and window boxes. Bush types stay more compact.
Self-seeds readily â you may get volunteers the following year.
