Nasturtium

Thanks for sharing! Yes, nasturtiums are edible flowers! The flowers and leaves are peppery flavored like watercress and are used in salads and as a garnish.

You can plant the seeds from spring through fall throughout Florida, year-round in South Florida. Nasturtiums are easy to grow where you live!

When plants of the tall type are about 7 inches tall, place a stake or trellis near them for support. It is not necessary to stake or trellis the dwarf type.

In your area, nasturtiums do best blooming in spring/early summer. Sow mid-March or earlier in pots. Or, you could also sow in late summer for fall bloom.

You want to grab those seeds when they are still green and let them dry on a baking sheet in a cool dark place for a week. Once they are hard, you can store them for next year.

In Houston, nasturtiums do best in the cooler months. You can plant them in the early fall, in which case they might bloom later in the fall before a frost stops them; the plants may even survive through the winter if it is an especially mild one.

You can also plant in early spring after the last expected spring frost date. They will bloom until the hot weather starts; peak bloom is usually about May into June.

They do not like high heat. When summer hits, move the containers to deep shade, and keep up with the watering. The plants may perk up again in fall to give you another floral display.

(Please note: We'd recommend sowing nasturtium seeds about 1/2 inch deep.)

Hope this helps!

Some thoughts: They grow in shade but not quite as well as full sun; too much shade limits their blossoms. Also, make sure you are not using any fertilizer. They thrive on neglect--poor, lean soil and spare watering.

The Empress of India is a non-trailing annual and quite compact (only 1 foot high).

You'll have to check with your local garden center, but nasturtiums do not fare well when transplanted; use peat pots and plant these directly in the soil. Nasturtiums are one of the easiest flowers to grow from seed. They prefer full sun. They are not choosy about their soil, though they prefer a light, sandy soil. Don't spoil them with rich, fertile soil and fertilizers as this will only result in lush foliage and few blooms.

The bumps could be insect damage. Spray with a horticultural oil or insecticidal soap spray.

Following spacing on packet. As the seedlings grow: If the plants are crowded then thin them out to about 12 inches apart.

Nasturiums are an annual so they need to be seeded each spring. However, if you let them go to seed, they may self-seed in the fall and come up the following year on their own.

If it's not meant to be a pale yellow variety, then it may be the weather. This flower enjoys cool soil. If the ground is too hot, forget it. Plant in a shady spot that gets some morning sun and water consistently.

Yellow leaves are a sign of over watering. Nasturtiums prefer really dry soil, even in the summer months!

Make sure that the soil is well-drained.

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