Working with nasturtiums- what do you do mid-summer?

14 years ago

I have found at least a couple of nasties that I really love (Renee's Garden "Creamsicle" and some long BRIGHT orange thing that I grew this year- might have been an "Alaska" one). At any rate, they are gorgeous before the heat gets them in July/August.

Then, if they survive the heat wave, or I haven't ripped their sorry arses out, they give another flush of blooms come September.

If you use nasturtiums, what do you do in the meantime- "meantime" being defined as that nasturtium-killing-heat that comes to claim your nasties, leaving them lifeless and pathetic for weeks on end (if you don't rip them out).

Do you put new babies in at that time? (Will those survive the heat better than a fully grown plant?) Do you rip them out completely and replace with something more heat-tolerant?

I want to use these in abundance next season as edgers...what to do when they keel mid-summer?

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vera_eastern_wa

14 years ago

The first time I ever winter-sowed them was in 2004 and I had them planted on the east side of the home where they received sun until about 2:30pm. They were 'Scarlet Gleam' a large sprawling type. They did look tattered by mid July and I trimmed all the ugly foliage back and they grew-back healthy and lush once again.
Later years I grew different ones in all day sun and they seemed to do just fine with the heat. I think there must be some that are suited better for the heat than others.... kinda like the Coleus Sun Series that do well in sun vs. the older varieties that require shade to dappled light.

Vera

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Comments (8)

kqcrna
14 years ago
Plant them where they're get some afternoon shade, a least for a couple of hours. They'll still bloom well, but only pout a little in the peak of summer heat. I also ignore the common recommendations for "fll sunn, poor soil, dry heat, no water" baloney. I feed them a little organic stuff at planting time, plant in part sun, and water like everything else.

They've never taken our summer heat well in full sun.

Karen
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lgslgs
14 years ago
I have them planted near a butterfly bush. When they get ratty in the height of summer I just look up at the butterfly bush and not down at the nasturtiums. :)

Lynda
northforker
14 years ago
I agree with everyone - bright morning sun and afternoon dabbled shade seem to be the key to a full season of nasties! I plant about 6-8 "patches" in different places around the yard - I just love them- and I think now after my 3rd year of planting the same spots, I do get some reseeding. These volunteers seem to wait longer than the newly planted seeds for some reason, so my plants that are looking a little tattered by end of july then suddenly have "new" playmates , I think the reseeds from the year before. Strange time to arrive I know, but I swear it is happening as the "2nd round" color always matches what I planted the year before, not what I planted this season. Anyway, it works wonderfully so I am not messing with it!

I also put nasties around a butterfly bush this year for the first time and I was very very pleased with the results. Nice mounds and the weeds then stayed out of that hard to reach spot under the growing/spreading bush.

Nancy
trudi_d
14 years ago
They're really nice to plant under bushes or along foundations. I do put them under my tomatoes where they make nice groundcover. I like Empress of India.
token28001
14 years ago
Nasturtiums are great for repelling squash bugs. Put a couple seeds in the hole with the squash seeds. Or sow them in the same container. Works with beans and as Trudi said, tomatoes too. They're great companion plants in the veggie garden.
barbe_wa
14 years ago
The flowers are also very tasty - kind of peppery, radishy - so they aren't out of place in the veggie or herb garden.
defrost49
14 years ago
thanks token, I had lots of squash bugs this year so I'll try planting naturtiums in the hills. And next year, I'll start checking for eggs.

I grew a yellow climbing nasturtium this year on the east side of the barn but since the garage is close to the barn, it doesn't get full east sun light. It did pretty well until late August. Then when we finally got some sunny days the heat must have gotten it. I didn't water this garden since it gets so much shade in the afternoon. Nasturtiums did terrible in pots with other plants after a great beginning. Maybe too much competition for moisture etc. Nasturtiums in the veggie garden seems to do fine but maybe because they got plenty of water.

Working with nasturtiums- what do you do mid-summer?

vera_eastern_wa

Comments (8)

kqcrna

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