What does it look like . Nasturtiums or capuchin are herbaceous annual or perennial plants - vines with long, succulent stems, sometimes forming underground white tubers up to 20 cm long. The leaves are attractive, green or bluish-green, round or palmately lobed, up to 5 cm in diameter, on long petioles. Variegated forms are available. The flowers are bright, showy, solitary, located in the axils of the leaves, with rounded petals, fragrant, up to 7 cm in diameter, painted in various shades of red, orange, yellow - to almost white, pink, purple or yellow. There are terry species.
Height . Long stems can grow up to 4 m in one season, but there are also dwarf varieties.
Description of the plant
In the vastness of South America you can find more than 50 species of nasturtium.
The nasturtium plant can be an annual or perennial.
The shoots are herbaceous, strong and fleshy. They branch and creep. The leaf blades are thyroid-shaped, round in shape, attached to long petioles. The leaves have a waxy coating. Initially, nature created nasturtium as a perennial plant, but due to the climatic conditions of some regions, it is grown as an annual crop.
general information
Nasturtium is a herbaceous flowering plant that came to us from South America, but has long been successfully acclimatized. There are about 90 species in nature, and many of them feel comfortable in mid-latitudes. They are valued for their elegant and long-lasting flowering, and also for their taste and healing properties.
In Russia, nasturtium is often called “capuchin”, and it came to us from the Netherlands. There are annual and perennial varieties, vines and subshrubs. Opened flowers always take on a bizarre irregular shape of at least five petals, and they are also very fragrant. Among red and yellow nasturtiums, other colors are extremely rare.
Photo: tuapsevesti.ru
Requirements for caring for nasturtium
The plant is dependent on heat and light. In addition, it needs fertile soil with regular moisture. Soils: Drained and light soils are recommended.
On a note!
The optimal soil composition for nasturtium is slightly acidic.
Experienced flower growers have noticed that on soils that contain a significant amount of organic matter, the plant begins to “fatten.” In this case, it will gain significant green mass, and flowering will be scanty or absent altogether. Soils with a poor mineral composition are also not suitable for nasturtium. They will lose their decorative appearance:
the stems will become thinner and bare, and the foliage will become small.
Heavy clay soil composition and improper watering regime can cause nasturtium to rot and die. Based on this, the plant needs to choose a suitable site for growth. It should be protected from drafts and well lit by the sun. Growing nasturtiums in partial shade will result in more foliage and fewer flowers. Nasturtiums cannot withstand frost. The first short-term drop in temperature will cause irreparable harm to it.
Use in food
Everything that is above the ground in nasturtiums is edible. The taste of the stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of the plant differ from each other, but have something in common. Something a little like mustard seeds and watercress, but with a light sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm the overall taste. The younger and smaller the leaves and flowers, the tastier they are. All this is added to soups, sauces and salads, and used as a vitamin supplement. Old leaves and shoots have a harsher taste, but can be used in soups, minced meats, and side dishes.
Nasturtium flowers are a wonderful edible decoration for holiday dishes and formal side dishes.
Growing nasturtium using seeds
To propagate this beautiful flowering plant, the seed method is used. There is also a vegetative propagation method. It is especially justified when propagating terry varieties of nasturtium.
The seeds of this representative of the flora can germinate for 4 years after collection.
Photo of nasturtium seeds
Advice!
To increase the chances of germination, the seeds are subjected to the following procedure: the grain is placed in hot water (about +50C) for 20 minutes, then transferred to a container with cold water and left in it for 1 day.
To obtain new nasturtium bushes, two seed methods can be used:
seedlings and non-seedlings.
Collecting seeds
Forty-fifty days after the petals fall, the seeds ripen. They are large, five to seven mm in diameter, round. It is recommended to collect them as they ripen.
Ripe seeds are easily separated from the peduncle. They are placed in paper bags and stored at at least twenty degrees. Seeds can be stored for up to four years and, when planted, will please the grower with an excellent result.
Planting nasturtium seeds directly in open ground
The seedless method involves sowing nasturtium seeds directly into open ground. To obtain lush bushes, 3 grains are immersed in one hole to a depth of 2 cm. The next planting can be at a distance of 3 cm. You should start sowing in the last days of May. It should be remembered that the frost resistance of nasturtium is very low - even a slight cold snap to 0 degrees will lead to the death of the plant.
Beautiful flowers!
Metrosideros Hydrangea "Polar Bear" Polar Bear Rhododendron
In cool regions, you can play it safe and cover the planting of young plants with non-woven material. The night before, more polyethylene is placed on top. Humidification is done with warm water. Shelters are removed in mid-June.
This method has its advantages. This will avoid plant disease during transplantation. The disadvantage of the seedless method is the late onset of nasturtium flowering.
When nasturtium blooms on the balcony
Nasturtium - the flowering of which can be controlled independently. Of course, flowers will not appear in cold winter, but you can still influence them. To do this, you need to control the level of watering and fertilizer. Some home craftsmen are even able to change the shades of leaves and petals using various soil additives.
Nasturtium blooms on its own from about June to August, but if the weather is warm, the flowers persist into September. And if you want to control flowering, you need to use these tips:
- Water deeply in May to help flowering begin faster. When the buds open, you need to stop abundant watering;
- Add ash to make the petals darker;
- Water with water from the rice so that the petals have an even shade throughout;
- Add a little dry egg shells so that the flowering is stronger, the flowers do not wilt quickly, as usual, they last longer.
Growing nasturtium using seedlings
It is also worth considering growing nasturtium in seedlings. The plant is endowed with a weak root system against the backdrop of a strong ground part. Any damage to the roots weakens the nasturtium.
To avoid damage to the roots, it is recommended to sow nasturtium seeds directly into peat pots. Or eliminate picking and replant the plant with a clod of earth. In one such peat pot you can plant three nasturtium grains to a depth of 2 cm.
Nasturtium. When to plant seeds for seedlings? - video
When to plant nasturtium seedlings:
sowing seeds should be done at the end of April.
Having created favorable conditions, one can hope for the appearance of sprouts already on the 15th day. In this case, the temperature surrounding the seedling containers must be at least +18 C. To obtain strong seedlings, in addition to temperature, a high-quality light regime is necessary. After the bushes have grown and become strong enough, they can be planted in flower beds and open areas. At first, so that the seedlings do not suffer from cold weather, it is recommended to cover them. For this purpose, non-woven material is used.
The first buds can be expected to bloom 30-45 days after sowing
. The flowering process of nasturtium is long and covers the entire warm period.
Nasturtium fertilizer for abundant flowering
With excess fertilizer, the leaves begin to grow quickly, which causes great harm to the flowering of nasturtium. But as for the small pot in which this plant grows and is located on the balcony, in this case, on the contrary, there may be too few nutrients.
Read also: The best raisin grape varieties grown in Ukraine
When you replant Nasturtium, be sure to add fertilizer or feed the plant with “Complex fertilizer” intended for flowering plant species.
Nasturtium: planting and care
All subsequent care after planting seedlings will consist of watering, fertilizing and weeding
. To avoid weeding, you can mulch the soil around the planting.
The plant needs more watering during the growth stage. From the moment of flowering, the amount of moisture is reduced. In order not to cause the root system to rot, it is necessary to water the bushes after the soil dries out. If the watering regime is disrupted, the number of flowers will decrease.
To maintain the plant in an attractive form, it is necessary to remove faded inflorescences
. These manipulations must be performed if there is no desire to collect nasturtium seeds. Otherwise, you need to let the seed pods ripen.
The seed pod will change color as it matures, from green to whitish. The three-sector capsule will increase in size and fall off after ripening.
These containers must be collected from the ground and the nasturtium must not be allowed to multiply by self-sowing. And if the plant itself does not tolerate frost, then its seeds cope well with low temperatures and retain the ability to germinate.
Nasturtium: cultivation and care - video
Perennial varieties in winter greenhouse or warm balcony
Even perennial varieties of nasturtiums do not tolerate winter, frost and low temperatures. They are usually moved indoors for the winter. If the balcony is warm enough (the temperature does not drop below +7˚), you can leave this flower over the winter.
You can also organize a greenhouse and grow flowers there.
Attention! You should not leave nasturtiums on the balcony for the winter.
Plant nutrition
When fertilizing nasturtium, you should not overuse nitrogen complexes. It is better to use complex mineral fertilizers like Reasil®. This composition contains a significant amount of natural humic acids. Fertilizing with this complex will allow you to maintain the brightness of flowers at the highest level and actively form buds.
You can also pay attention to the composition “Florist Bud”, which is in demand among gardeners who grow ornamental plants.
Preserving a flower for the winter
The capuchin is not able to survive the harsh winters of mid-latitudes. Here it is grown only as an annual plant. On an insulated balcony or in a greenhouse you can extend the life of a flowering plant.
In the fall, some housewives bring pots of nasturtium home. Even before November, the bushes delight with their bright bells.
It’s worth trying to have this wonderful flower on your balcony. The collected seeds have good germination. All summer the plant pleases with its brightness, variety of colors, and lace foliage. In addition, nasturtium produces a very pleasant smell.
Types of nasturtium
Nature has generously rewarded us with a huge number of flowering plants. There are more than 80 varieties of nasturtium alone. And thanks to the work of breeders, its ranks are regularly replenished.
The following popular varieties of nasturtium are known:
- tuberous;
- foreign;
- small;
- big;
- curly.
Nasturtium tuberous
This is an annual herbaceous bush with creeping shoots. All branches of the bush are intertwined and reach a height of 50 cm.
This species produces light-colored tubers with dark purple eyes on its stems underground. The foliage has five lobes and is bluish-green in color. The bright reddish flowers have spurs.
Foreign nasturtium
This herbaceous vine adapts perfectly to growing on a support. Its shoots can reach 3.5 meters. This type of nasturtium is actively used in vertical gardening.
The leaf blades of foreign nasturtium are painted in light green tones, and their shape is limited to a circle. At the moment of flowering, rich yellow flowers with red strokes in the central part appear on the shoots.
Large nasturtium
This type of plant differs from others in its bare stem, which is also quite fragile. The height of the bush rarely exceeds 70 cm. The length of the stems can extend up to 2.5 meters. The foliage color is rich green. It is attached to the stem on a long petiole. The flowers are large, up to 6 cm in diameter. Inflorescences can be simple or double in shape.
The following varieties of large nasturtium are known:
- "Alaska" is a 30 cm tall variety that bears yellow or pink flowers against a background of marbled green leaves.
- 'King Theodore' is a variety with simple red flowers and dark green foliage.
- "Peach melba" is a variety with peach-colored flowers and a red center.
- “Salmon baby” is a variety with delicate salmon-colored flowers.
Photo of large nasturtium "Alaska"
Photo of large nasturtium “King Theodore”
Photo of large nasturtium “Peach melba”
Photo of large nasturtium “Salmon baby”
Nasturtium climbing
A herbaceous annual vine with side shoots growing on it. Used to decorate vertical supports, gazebos and verandas.
Small nasturtium
This plant is more like a subshrub, which does not exceed 35 cm in height. The leaf blades are small in size and thyroid-shaped. Flowering occurs in mid or late June.
Popular varieties of nasturtium minor are:
- "Black Velvet" is a plant with large flowers in a dark burgundy tone.
- “Cherry rose” is a ball-shaped bush, the height of which does not exceed 30 cm. During flowering, the bush is covered with double flowers of a scarlet tone.
Nasturtium shieldbearing
This plant is native to the mainland of South America. A semi-shrub type plant grown as an annual. Long creeping shoots reach a length of 4 m. The foliage is dark green and the flowers are rich red. The flowering time begins in June and lasts until October.
A popular variety is “Lucifer” with compact upright bushes 25 cm high. The shoots are light green in color, and the flowers are bright, red-orange in color with a diameter of 6 cm.
Diseases
- Excess moisture harms the plant and can lead to the following diseases.
- Bactericidal wilting, when the lower leaves first weaken and then the entire plant dies.
- Gray rot is expressed in the appearance of brown, dry spots on the leaves.
- Mosaic. Motley bright stains appear on the leaves.
- In case of any disease, affected plants should be removed from the site and burned. Healthy flowers are treated with insecticides.
Thanks to the unpretentiousness of nasturtium and the limitless choice of colors, this flower has been one of the most popular in gardens, alleys and parks, on balconies and greenhouses for hundreds of years. Breeders have bred about 25 species of this plant; in the natural environment there are about 90 of them.
It's amazing how useful this plant is. The entire nasturtium plant is edible: the slightly pungent leaves are used in salads, and the flowers, cooked with sugar, are used to decorate cakes and desserts. The seeds are used for cooking meat and also for seasoning. The roots of nasturtium are also used as food in its homeland.
Nasturtium is a medicinal plant containing large amounts of vitamin C, which promotes better metabolism and strengthens the immune system.
Nasturtium planted in an orchard or next to a vegetable garden is an amazing helper: with its aroma it disperses harmful butterflies and beetles, with its bright color it attracts insects for pollination and disinfects the soil from fungus.
To the north of Paris there is the village of Giverny, where the French artist Claude Manet lived, who spent 25 years painting his garden, which he planted himself and where nasturtiums occupied a significant part of it. To this day, photographs of the nasturtiums in this garden serve as a visual aid for landscape designers around the world.
In some paintings by Russian impressionist Konstantin Korovin and French post-impressionist Paul Gauguin, nasturtiums are chosen as the main theme of the composition.
Planting nasturtiums in a flowerpot
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a personal plot where it is possible to grow flowering plants in open ground. Those who have a weakness for beautiful flowering plants will love the method of growing nasturtiums in pots.
Nasturtium for balconies - video
For this purpose, ampelous or climbing species are planted in a flower container. The main thing is that it has drainage holes and is filled with moderately nutritious soil. All subsequent care for a flower in a flowerpot does not differ from that used when growing nasturtium in open ground. The flower pot should be shallow and wide enough.
Choose a place to place the flower that is well-lit and not subject to drafts.
. If the balcony is glazed, it is recommended to ventilate it regularly so that the plant has access to fresh air.
It is necessary to moisten the plant as the soil dries, and fertilize every two weeks. For fertilizing, compositions for flowering garden plants are chosen.
Features of cultivation
Nasturtium also has a second name - capuchin. The plant's homeland is considered to be South and Central America. In their warm climate, nasturtium grows as a perennial, but in harsh Russian conditions it is grown as an annual flower. Most often, the plant is used for landscaping a garden plot, but some prefer to decorate balconies or apartments with capuchin. To do this, it is planted in a deep pot and secured to the wall to give the vines the opportunity to “drain” down.
Thanks to its aroma, nasturtium serves as protection for neighboring flowers from aphids, whiteflies, Colorado potato beetles and cabbage caterpillars.
Medicinal and other beneficial properties of nasturtium
Many gardeners know about the beneficial properties of this beautiful plant. Based on nasturtium flowers, decoctions and tinctures are made that are used in the treatment of kidney diseases, bronchitis, sclerosis, and cholelithiasis.
The substances that make up the flower help fight harmful microbes and increase the body’s immune properties. And essential oils can help normalize blood circulation.
The medicinal properties of the plant do not end there. It is recognized as a natural antibiotic, which is rich in vitamins and essential oils. Decoctions are often used in the treatment of the genitourinary system. During colds and decreased immunity, an infusion of nasturtium petals is used in combination with other drugs.
Pest and disease control
Some pests, such as whiteflies, aphids, and cabbageweeds, do not tolerate nasturtium. Therefore, it can be used to protect other plantings from these insects.
Before planting nasturtium, you need to know that the most common diseases that threaten the flower are gray mold, bacterial wilt, mosaic virus and rust. If there is a suspicion of attack, first of all you need to remove damaged leaves . It is also good to treat them with special antibiotics and antiviral agents for plants.
Possible problems and diseases
Various diseases destroy the plant within a short time. Gray rot appears through gray-brown spots on all parts of the plant. The cause is botrys fungus. If you spray it with one percent Bordeaux mixture during the growing season, you can predict this disaster.
Bacteria cause the lower leaves to wither, and then the entire plant may die.
The mosaic of Nasturtium is that the plant tends to slow down the growth of shoots; light green stains appear on Nasturtium.
The mosaic virus is transmitted by sucking pests. It is possible and necessary to fight them. It is also recommended to prevent this problem.
There is another problem - rust. First of all, small brown spots appear, then they grow in the form of irregularly shaped pads.
Return to content
