Empress of India Nasturtium
The vigorously growing plants feature attractive and tasty leaves of a very dark bluish-green growing as tall as a foot. They carry large 2-inch blooms in shades of red ranging from dark ruby red to fiery red. Blossoms are a spicy addition to a salad.
30 seeds
PLANTING
Tropaeolum majus
Annual
Germination: 10-12 days, soaking seeds overnight aids germination
Seed Planting Depth: Sow 1/2” deep
Starting Indoors: Start indoors 2-4 weeks before the last frost. Provide 60-65ºF soil temperatures until germination. Using individual biodegradable peat/cow pots/paper pots helps to reduce root damage when transplanting. Transplant 8-10” apart after the last frost date.
Sowing Outdoors: 2 weeks before the last frost into early summer
Spacing: 8-12”
Growth Habit: Trailing
Height and Width: 10-12” x 36-48"
Light Needs: Full sun
Soil Needs: Average, well-drained. An abundance of nitrogen in the soil promotes excess foliage with limited blooms
Approximate days to flower from seed: 55-65 days
Uses: Attracts pollinators, flower beds, containers, window boxes, hanging baskets, edible flowers and leaves, companion plant in the vegetable garden-brassicas, cucumbers, melons, squash, radishes, and tomatoes
Care: Low maintenance, minimal care required. Deadheading is not necessary but promotes vigorous blooms. When growing in containers they might need to be pruned back during the middle of the season to maintain their shape and watered more frequently