The propagation of nasturtiums is relatively easy. There are various options available to you. You can plant cuttings to grow genetically identical plants or try out new varieties using seeds.
How to propagate nasturtiums?
To propagate nasturtiums, you can use cuttings or the sinking method, or grow the plants directly from seeds. The optimal germination temperature is 20 – 25 °C and it takes about a week until the first roots or seedlings become visible.
Propagation by cuttings
Cut off a fresh shoot of your nasturtium about 15 cm long and put it in a pot with moist potting soil. Always keep this soil moist, but do not allow it to become waterlogged, otherwise the shoot will start to mold.
Place the growing pot in a warm place. A cultivation temperature of 20 – 25 °C is ideal. After about a week the first small roots have formed. You can wait until the roots are a little stronger before planting.
Propagation by lowering
Similar to propagation by cuttings, propagation by lowering also works. In this case, the separation from the mother plant only takes place after root formation. You will need a he althy nasturtium again and a pot with potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon) and a good drainage layer.
Place the pot under a lowered shoot and weigh this shoot down with a stone. Water the part of the plant in the pot just as regularly as before. Even if lowered, the first fine roots should form within about a week.
Sowing nasturtiums
The easiest way to propagate is certainly sowing. Here you can choose between seeds from your own plants and purchased seeds. From mid-May after the Ice Saints you can sow directly outdoors. Sowing in pots is possible from March.
Place 2 - 3 seeds together in a pot or planting hole. Cover the seeds with soil, because nasturtiums are dark germinators. The ideal germination temperature is around 20 – 25 °C. Then the first seedlings appear after about a week, in cooler temperatures it takes a little longer.
The most important things in brief:
- Propagation by cuttings or lowering
- Germination time of the seeds approx. one week
- Keep seeds well moist
Tips & Tricks
You can only get plants that are genetically identical to the original plant through cuttings, not from seeds.