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beesneeds

Anyone else adore nasturtiums?

beesneeds
5 years ago

Nasturtiums are one of my favorite annuals. Beautiful foliage that can be found in small and bushy to long and trailing habits. A lovely array of blossom colors.. and we like to eat a lot of the leaves, blooms, and even the seeds pickled up green like capers. The local bees and hummingbirds love the blossoms too :)

Last spring I discovered I had run out of even the house stock of seed- then discovered somehow my garden patch got covered up and killed off.. Not such a bad thing, the garden patch and seed had gotten kind of.. blah. Not bad, just kind of generic.

So put my wish list for new nast seed on my Christmas list. And the whole list was filled! 8 different varieties of seed. I set them to soak along with some moonflower seed late Wed night. This morning I potted them all up in their cells. The nasts got 2 seed per cell, 9 cells per variety. Moonflower got one seed each in a 6 cell. The nast seeds had swelled well- and three of the Moonflowers had already poked tail!

Today I started Orchid Flame, Hawaii Mix, Tip Top Apricot, Peach Melba, Ladybird Cream Purple Spot, Moonlight, Out of Africa, and Vesuvius. I have enough of each seed leftover for a second smaller sowing round if I want.

I'm particularly excited about the Orchid Flame. Extra lovely. Something I noted among the new selection of seed from a culinary point of view. Some varieties have definite smaller seed vs larger seed. This will be good to note when harvesting green seed for pickling.

Comments (142)

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    dbarron, You just have to get them started early. I get them going in pots in dappled shade/sun and then move them into shade as the heat strikes.

  • dbarron
    5 years ago

    And Mara, how long do they go? Are yours still in a state of beauty or in a state of 'get the XXXX out of here, it's too hot?'

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    They were beautiful and full of flower but now I use them for salad greens and I keep them anyway. I think they are still attractive. I think that the Alaskan jewel does better in the heat than the other varieties. Picture was taken 5 minutes ago. WE have had nothing but 90's(mostly upper) and a few 100's forever. They are in the shade. This is the sliver of morning sun that squeezes under the oak. They get a light watering every day. They are right by my nursery of baby plants.

  • dbarron
    5 years ago

    Well for salad greens they don't look half bad...are they really strong and peppery in the heat?

  • Patti Chicago Zone 5b/6a
    5 years ago

    I made a huge mistake and planted them along with lantana and geraniums. Needless to say they didn't make it long. They were so pretty and full at the start of summer and with the heat and sun they just shriveled up and died. Next year I will know they don't like the full sun all season long. I already bought a package of a cream colored mounding variety to try next year. I will start them early. I love the help I receive here from all you fellow gardeners. :-)

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    5 years ago

    Still peppery in the heat.


  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    Patti, I think "real people" who are actually growing plants are much more helpful than websites.

    Back to my original question, shouldn't my N's be blooming by now?

  • Patti Chicago Zone 5b/6a
    5 years ago

    I would think so. Mine bloomed in June. I winter sowed mine but I felt it did take a long time to get the flowers but the foliage is so cute I didn't mind. lol

  • beesneeds
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    I would think so too, but it can depend on the variety. Most of the varieties I planted this year have been blooming, but a couple of them haven't started blooming yet.

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    I found the empty packet of the N. seeds. They're Fordhook Favorites. The packet says they bloom in spring and summer. When I looked online one website said they bloom late summer/fall. I'm hoping it's the latter for mine to give me hope!

  • beesneeds
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Another update... Out of Africa started blooming yesterday, and the Orchid Flame finally has it's first bloom today. So my nasts have taken a couple weeks from the earliest maturing to the latest maturing one.

    I don't know how Fordhooks perform or bloom time- I tend not to grow any Fordhooks in general. I'm not fond of Burpee seed.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Hi guys, my liquid fertilizer is 5-2-3, maybe I should'nt fertilize at all then. Or just use half the amount recommended. And in SW Pa you would'nt think that any Nast would need shade, but, we've had 90'sF and breifly 100F here in my indoor/outdoor weather station. One of those small things you can get at and home store, big box home improvement center. And I've put the outdoor part in the shade, so in the full sun it's even hotter.

  • Jay 6a Chicago
    5 years ago

    Beesneeds, I would love to see pictures of your Orchid Flame and Out of Africa nasturtiums. Just curious, why don't you like Burpee seeds?

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    One plant finally bloomed under the birdbath from above picture. Not impressed but given I read they like to bloom late summer, I'll give them a pass for now. :) There are red flowers in the seed mix, hope they show up.

    I think it's our extreme heat but the leaves are not my cup of tea.


  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    I have 1 bloom on mine.

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    LOL poaky, I sure hope the bloom is much bigger than mine! Take a picture!

  • Jay 6a Chicago
    5 years ago

    I know this topic has probably been covered before. I have planted a few kinds of nasturtiums this year, and they are all coming along, but my empress of indias are so small compared to the others. I've encountered this same problem in the past. I was just wondering, are there any things I can do to get more vigorous growth out of these little things?

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    Jay, is the plant or flowers that are small? I know the flowers on empress are supposed to be small.

    I finally fertilized my nasturtiums yesterday even though every website says not to. I used some Rose food I had on hand which is good for other flowers because it's not as strong.

    Feeding the plants does help with growth.

  • Jay 6a Chicago
    5 years ago

    The plants are small. They haven't bloomed yet. I've fertilized them two times so far.

  • ninecrow
    5 years ago

    I don't know IF it was the Bug Killer or the REALLY Hot weather but All of Mine died, They were in Full Sun and in a pot....
    Thoughts Please?
    Thanks

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    Ninecrow, if the bug killer was safe for plants, then that's not the culprit. However, if you sprayed it while the plants were in the hot sun, I bet that would kill them.

    Once I took the plant in the pot out of the hot sun all day and gave it about 2 to 3 hours of morning sun, the leaves have turned a beautiful green. So I'm hoping flowers will come soon.

    From my short experience, they don't like direct sunlight with super hot temps for very long, add wind to the mix and the leaves burn. Hot temperatures here have gone up to 110, which is not the norm.

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    5 years ago

    Ninecrow, even on the allotment they were less riotous than In previous years due to the heat and drought. In a pot I'd think they'd really suffer. And no rain to challenge the black fly getting comfortable.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago


  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Okay, oakley, and everyone who wanted to see my 1 bloom, here it is, I just took the pic today, so it's faded and wilted. The other flower behind it has a few purple blooms up and to the right of the pot of Nasty's, I forget the name of that plant, maybe Cosmos (?) I have a Nasturtium in full sun elsewhere, and it doesn't have the variegated leaves, but, it's from the same seed packet as the Vareigated ones.

  • Villain Rose (Zone 11 Qld Australia.)
    5 years ago

    I saw this thread while I was away and just had to add to it. Originally I had phlox in these pots. So when they finished I needed something easy to grow and picked nasturtiums.





    These are trailing ones, I think they look good there!

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Okay, Villain Rose, so it seems that you maybe just sowed some seeds and you have nasturtiums, but, you haven't really fertilzed them, or cared for them at all?

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Villain Rose, your Nasturtiums are nice, but, you are in zone 11 Old Australia.

  • Villain Rose (Zone 11 Qld Australia.)
    5 years ago

    I did just sow some seeds and they grew. I have been away for a month, so they have lived on neglect as my partner is hopeless with plants. He has watered them though, and I think I threw in some fertilizer when I planted them. They also do receive at least 6 hours of direct sun.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Hey all, I have gotten some more blooms lately, not as many as rouge21 has above, but a good bit, sorry I have no pic now, I have 1 in sun, and 1 in shade/sun, mostly shade, both flowering okay now, finally.

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    Rouge, your's are doing great. What's the heat been like where you live? Two weeks before this one, we had some great rain, cooler weather (80's), and cloudy days, and the Nast. somehow lost their yellow leaves and were fresh looking, and I got a total of 4 blooms. lol. Then the sun and heat came back and they're just sitting there.


    If they like sun, heat, and neglect, then why did mine thrive with the opposite type of weather?

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    5 years ago

    "If they like sun, heat, and neglect, then why did mine thrive with the opposite type of weather?"

    I have the same experience. My two containers were labouring while they were in full sun (even in my hardiness zone). But when I moved them to shadier locales, gave them more water (and heresy...some plant food)) they bounced back nicely.

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    I did the same with the one in my container, but it refuses to bloom. I think it's safe to say I will not be growing Nast. next year! lol DH does a tremendous job growing them in the greenhouse, they climbed up and around the ceiling.

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    5 years ago

    mine died in the extreme heat and lack of water, so I have some sprouting now and I wonder if they're going to make it to November or December. Experiment!

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    5 years ago

    It maters when your freeze is. They are very frost sensitive.

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I'm thinking they'll make it to late October. I put the seeds into the ground sometime ago, so we may see them yet... It's just for fun at this point.

    ETA: went and looked. Average first frost date is October 28th here.

  • Oakley
    5 years ago

    Very pretty Rouge! The few blooms I had were always hidden under the foliage.

  • Patti Chicago Zone 5b/6a
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Yes rouge they are so pretty. I just love the leaves. I winter sowed them and they were so sweet looking then I put them in full sun and they were toasted. It was my first year growing them. I will try to grow them again and keep them in a sunny/shady area. I am wondering if anyone else had good luck with theirs. It’s great learning about the different needs for each plant.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Rouge, I don't mean to kiss ass, but, I love the compactness of your Nasturtium, what is the name of your Hostas? I will try and get pics of my Nasty's soon. I have gotten some decent blooms on my Nasty's now. It IS So DAMN HOT LATELY, but, 1 of these Nasty's are in full sun, AND I have dragged a hose out there and watered this plant at least every 3-4 days. But, I do have 2 more Nasturtiums, and I just remembered that I have 3 all together, I had thought that I only had 2 altogether, but, anyway, the other 2 plants of Nasturtiums are in mostly shade, and they have bloomed a bit, and 1 in particular looks good, I am hoping I can get some pics tommorrow.

    Anyway, later Rouge.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    BTW, Rouge, we've been having heat in the 90'sF for many weeks, I can't wait until fall myself, WE reached 100F today for about 20 minutes, then we went down to 97F about 20 til 3 PM.

    I can't help but think that these high temps is what brought out the great growth on these nasty's. I may be wrong, but, maybe that is why they are doing much better than the middle of summer, but, I gotta say that we had many days in the 90'sF this summer. The station in Pittsburgh, Pa said it was about 83F, and it would be 92F here in Uniontown, Pa, at least in MY YARD. Well, anyway, I'll try to get pics of my Nasturtiums soon.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I just planted some nasty seeds. I hope there is time before the first frost. It rained for the first time in months. I have rain in my cisterns!!!!! I can garden now.

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    5 years ago

    Well drat. My autumn experiment is bust this year. The deer ate them. Shoulda known.


    HA!

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    5 years ago

    Those nasturtiums are up on my porch far from deer.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    We're getting a ton of rain and mostly cool weather now, anyway, Wantonamara, Maybe in zone 8 Texas, you can get new plants that will bloom before winter?

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    4 years ago

    UPDATE August 2019:


    Rouge, I don't mean to kiss ass, but, I love the compactness of your Nasturtium, what is the name of your Hostas?


    Poaky1, I am so sorry I didnt see your ask until almost a year later!


    Here is almost the same shot as |I took last year but the nasturtium you see here was a self seed from last years pot1



    Those same hosta are "Little Treasure". IMO they are a great small hosta.


    Here is my planned pot of nasturtium, situated in lots of shade:


    Lets see your 2019 nasturtiums.

  • poaky1
    4 years ago

    That's okay Rouge, I haven't grown any Nasturtiums this year though.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    3 years ago

    Anyone tried "Phoenix" Nasturtium? (Just ordered a pack)

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    Yes, it was one of the varieties I started last season. But I was very late in the season getting them started in a mixed variety container and none produced any flowers until well into late fall!! I never saw any flowers with the fringed ends of Phoenix so maybe they have a much lower germination rate than others?? Or prefer much hotter weather than October in the PNW offers. Will try again this season, starting them as soon as it warms up a scosh. And I might start each variety out separately as well, rather than a mixed bag :-)

    And although they look rather pathetic and bedraggled at this time of year, I still have some nasturtiums pushing flowers as we speak!! Who'da thunk??

  • beesneeds
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I grew it a couple years back. It did have the pretty blooms, but the amount of blooms was lacking. Not a prolific bloomer like some other varieties are.

    Still tasted good :)