How To Sow Nasturtiums As A Salad Crop And A Companion Plant

Nasturtiums lure pests away from vegetables and add spice and colour to salads

Nasturtiums make a tasty and colourful addition to the summer salad, are an invaluable companion plant luring pests away from your valuable vegetables and as a bonus are an easy bedding plant. They don’t need a lot of attention as they will grow in the poorest of soils, even growing in cracks in the wall.

The variety we have chosen is ‘Jewel of Africa Mix’, but there are dozens of varieties ranging from palest lemon to darkest burgundy. We are growing ours in jiffy pots to give them a head start then they can be planted in amongst the vegetables where required.

You will need:

• jiffy pots
• seed compost
• seed
• something which holds water to stand the tray or pots in
• labels

Fill the jiffy pots with John Innes Seed compost and push one seed about 1.5cm (½”) into the compost and cover with compost, label.

Stand the pots in water for 15 - 20 minutes until damp and place on a sunny windowsill or in the greenhouse.

Keep just damp.