Nasturtiums are 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 window boxes.

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 trellis if they are to stand on a balcony. But they can also form a nice privacy screen.

It is easier to plant small, compact forms of nasturtium in pots. The bushy growth habit allows you to move the pots to another place 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 here. You have the choice between numerous colors from white to pink to violet and black.

The planting in the pot

It is best to place the freshly bought young plant or the 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, because nasturtium needs a rather nutrient-poor soil to bloom profusely.

You should pay attention to this when it comes to maintenance

If your nasturtium gets too much nutrients, it will thank you with lush leaf growth, but will hardly form any flowers at all. Since this is certainly not what you want, you should avoid giving plenty of fertilizer.

Your nasturtium needs a lot of water, but does not like waterlogging. If the soil on the surface becomes dry, water your plant, preferably daily during the summer months. Fertilizer needs it at most once a month.

The essentials in brief:

  • choose a suitable growth form
  • Note the variety of colors
  • use a sufficiently large pot
  • not too nutrient-rich soil
  • pour copiously
  • fertilize little

tips and tricks

For planting in a pot, you should choose a bushy plant or provide your nasturtium with a climbing aid.

Category:

Vegetable garden