the only time i've had really good luck is in my greenhouse overwinter. it took a little while, but i had a good bit of blooms from them. out there they had about 4 hours of morning sun. i've had marginal success in the past by planting them in hanging pots that have old soil in them (they're said to like very lean soil, and they're the same pots i used in the greenhouse). i've always gotten more leaves than blooms, too, but since i like the leaves i don't mind too much- and it makes the occasional bloom a superstar. the pots were in about 3-4 hours of midday sun, outside. they did best in the fall. i've seen them growing here in a few places just gangbuster, and id like to know the secret, too- so i'm eager to hear what others have experienced . btw, what conditions did they like in your other abodes?

Nancy, I think it's a matter of starting early and keeping them cool. They've never thrived in full 'summer' sun, once it gets really hot they're just not happy. I don't know if it's the humidity or what but seems to be a narrow time frame that they do well for me. when I grow them, which isn't often, they get a north east exposure in the morning and cool shade the rest of the day.

The old 'be nasty to nasturtiums' refers more to nitrogen than actual soil conditions. Too much nitrogen causes great green growth and fewer blooms. They still like good draining but moist soil. Thinking back the time they did the best for me was the year I winter sowed them about mid March and planted them out as fast as they had a couple true leaves. I don't think we had any late frost that year which prolly helped. IIRC they kind of stalled during the worst heat and perked back up again in the fall, so maybe it is the humidity that sets them back?

I grow them every year. Some years are better than others. I don't remember them ever NOT blooming but there has only been two years when they were covered in blooms. One type that did well for me was the pale pale creamy ones with the orange red center streaks (maybe 'Peach Melba'). Little stubby plants, I wished I had planted them in hanging baskets because they got kinda lost down on the ground. The best year and type was a couple of years ago when I planted 'Alaska' on a whim (it was the spring I was busy planning a summer trip to Alaska). They were the extra long trailing type and they did great, even in the shadier parts of the garden. They did not last long once it got hot and they were only full of blooms for a short part of their short lives... but I was happy with them.

I dream of getting ahold of the nice apricot orange fully double type - they don't even look like nasturtiums! Thompson & Morgan carried the seed a million years ago and now the only place I have seen them is Annies Annuals (as a plant).

I had them in my old yard and they did well. I must have wintersown them because that is the only way I would have them at that time. Mine were in lean soil that we had just reclaimed from being a lawn. They were planted at the edge of a deciduous tree's dripline. They were gone by June but reseeded themselves so I never had to replant them. They would show back up in the fall. Sometimes they had a chance to bloom sometimes not. I think they were orange and red striped. I wasn't familiar with nasties but they germinated and I was happy. After I saw them bloom I was very happy. Good luck. Shannon/Dirtrx