🟠Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus
The edible flower that doubles as an aphid trap — salad and security in one plant.
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Days to harvest
35-50 days from seed
Spacing
8-12 inches apart
Soil pH
6.0-7.0
How to grow
Direct sow after frost danger — nasturtiums hate transplanting and germinate in about a week. Plant in poor soil on purpose; rich soil gives you enormous leaves and zero flowers. They're a cool-season star in Florida (fall through spring) and a summer annual further north. Let vines sprawl or climb — both work.
Water & feeding
Water moderately; they're drought-tolerant once established and sulk in soggy soil.
Common problems
- Aphids — this is a feature, not a bug: plant as a trap crop to lure them from vegetables.
- Flea beetles on seedlings.
- Too much nitrogen = all leaves, no flowers.
Harvest
Pick flowers and young leaves for peppery salads; harvest seed pods while green for 'poor man's capers' (brine them).
Nerdy fact: Nasturtium leaves are superhydrophobic — water beads up and rolls off, collecting dirt as it goes. Scientists named the 'lotus effect' after studying this exact trick. Self-cleaning salad.