Nasturtium is ideal for planting on a balcony or terrace. Some varieties were bred to be particularly compact and bushy; this growth habit is almost ideal for planting in pots and flower boxes.
How do you care for nasturtiums in a pot?
To cultivate nasturtiums in a pot, choose a bushy or compact variety, plant them in sufficiently large pots with nutrient-poor soil, water abundantly without waterlogging, fertilize little and possibly offer a climbing aid.
Choose the right variety
The best-known variety is certainly the large nasturtium with its bright yellow to orange flowers and tendrils up to three meters long. They need a large plant pot and a climbing aid if they are to be placed on a balcony. But they can also form a nice privacy screen.
Planting pots with small, compact forms of nasturtium is easier. The bushy growth habit allows you to move the pots to a different location during the growing season and to redecorate your balcony or terrace several times. The variety of colors of the newer breeds will certainly suit you very well. You can choose between numerous colors from white to pink to purple and black.
Planting in a pot
It is best to put the freshly purchased young plant or seeds in a pot that is large enough for the adult plant. This saves you having to repot later. Use normal, slightly loamy garden soil. You can also mix in a little sand, as nasturtiums need rather nutrient-poor soil to bloom abundantly.
This is what you should pay attention to when caring for it
If your nasturtium gets too many nutrients, it will thank you with lush leaf growth, but will produce few or no flowers. Since this is certainly not in your interest, you should forego generous amounts of fertilizer.
Your nasturtium needs a lot of water, but doesn't like waterlogging. If the soil on the surface becomes dry, water your plant, ideally daily during the summer months. She needs fertilizer a maximum of once a month.
The most important things in brief:
- choose appropriate growth form
- Note the variety of colors
- use a sufficiently large pot
- not too nutrient-rich soil
- water abundantly
- fertilize little
Tips & Tricks
For planting in a pot, you should choose a bushy plant or provide your nasturtium with a climbing aid.
