Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the windowsill, or anywhere else, nasturtiums are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing nasturtiums.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Nasturtiums Belong To?
Garden nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) belong to the Tropaeolaceae family, also known as the nasturtium family.
Some of their close relatives include monk's cress, flame flower, and canarybird. Since they are of the order Brassicales, they are distantly related to Brassicas such as kale and cabbage. See our What is a Plant Family? article here for more information about classification.
Oddly, watercress has the botanical name Nasturtium officinale. However, it is of a different family than what we actually refer to as nasturtiums, which have the botanical name indicated above, Tropaeolum majus.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Nasturtiums?
The minimum container depth recommended for nasturtiums is 10 inches.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Nasturtiums?
Some of nasturtiums' best companions are as follows:
- Tomato
- Beans like green beans
- Squash
- Apple
- Cherry
- Peach
- Plum
- Pear
- Cucumber
- Radish, mizuna, and other Brassicas, with the exception of cauliflower
- Melons
- Fennel
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Nasturtiums?
Nasturtiums are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with nasturtiums are as follows:
What Soil Conditions Do Nasturtiums Need?
Nasturtiums prefer sandy to loamy soil with a pH of 6.1 to 7.8.
How Long Do Nasturtiums Take to Germinate?
Nasturtiums take 1-2 weeks to germinate at a temperature of 55-70°F.
How Much Sun Do Nasturtiums Need?
Nasturtiums grow best in full sun.
Their leaves may grow in part shade, but they are unlikely to flower in the shade.
Sun recommendations can vary by region, and nasturtiums grown in hot areas or in warmer conditions than the ideal temperature range noted below may need some shade.
How Much Water Do Nasturtiums Need?
Nasturtiums should be watered deeply when the top inch of soil is dry.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Nasturtiums?
Nasturtiums grow fastest in temperatures of 50-80°F.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, the growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some nasturtium varieties are bred for later harvests and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Do Nasturtiums Get?
The average height of nasturtiums is 6-12 inches.
Some giant varieties grow much larger than this, reaching heights of up to 12 feet.
Are Nasturtiums Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Nasturtiums are annual flowers, meaning that they start and end their lives in the same year.
How Do Nasturtiums Reproduce?
Nasturtiums reproduce by seed.
How Many Nasturtiums Are Produced Per Plant?
For nasturtiums, how many are produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on the type and variety.
Most nasturtiums produce 1 flower and 3-7 leaves per plant.
Can Nasturtiums Be Ingested?
Nasturtium leaves, flowers, and stems are edible.
Nasturtium leaves, flowers, and stems have antimicrobial and expectorant properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea and tinctures. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:4 at 40% alcohol is suggested for a nasturtium tincture.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting nasturtium leaves.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of nasturtiums rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for nasturtiums here!
Nasturtiums are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: