Rules for successfully growing nasturtium outdoors
Nasturtium is a beautiful flower that is unpretentious to growing conditions. It can take root and grow even in dense peat soil. Nasturtium is shade-tolerant and does not tolerate direct sunlight. Its leaves and stems can burn out if the plant is exposed to the sun for more than three hours a day. Therefore, the best place to plant nasturtium is a darkened area near the fence or wall of the house, and this flower will also grow well in a flower bed next to tall shrubs. If you drop off nasturtium in strong shade, the plant will delay its flowering for a week. You can grow this flower on your site from seeds or by seedling.
Sowing seeds in open ground
Nasturtium is grown from seed in warm climates. They are planted in open ground in early May, when the soil warms up to +15ABOUTC. Seeds are placed in separate holes 2 cm deep. After planting the seeds in open ground, the soil is mulched. As mulch, you can use sawdust, dead grasses or low-lying peat.
The root system of nasturtium is shallow, so it is impossible to loosen the soil near the flower, as there is a risk of damaging the roots. For the same reason, nasturtium does not tolerate stagnant water, so it is very rarely watered.
It is sufficient to water the plant two to three times a week before entering the flowering period and once a week during flowering. If you water the nasturtium more often, there is a risk that it will not tie the buds or throw off the flower stalks.
A week after the appearance of the first shoots, nasturtium must be fertilized with potassium-containing and phosphorus fertilizers... Five to seven days after feeding, the plant will bloom.
Nasturtium is the only flower that does not need nitrogen fertilization. Excess nitrogen is very harmful to this plant. The leaves of nasturtium will become a rich green color, depending on the variety, light green spots may appear on them.
Growing nasturtium seedlings
In northern regions with a cold climate, nasturtium is grown in seedlings. In this case, the plant will bloom several weeks later than the flower grown from seed, since the seedlings need time to adapt to new conditions. Seedlings are planted in the soil, burying it in seven-leafed leaves. Then the soil must be well watered with a growth stimulant and mulched. Further, nasturtium seedlings are grown in the same way as a flower from seeds.