Growing Nasturtium: A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · July 18, 2026
Nasturtium is one of the few flowers in a vegetable garden that earns its space with a job, not just color: both the peppery leaves and the flowers are edible, and the plant is widely used as a trap crop, luring aphids onto itself and away from more valuable neighbors.
What to expect
Direct-sow after your last frost — nasturtium doesn’t transplant well and germinates easily right in the ground. It’s fast and low-maintenance, reaching maturity in under two months, and unlike most flowers it actually prefers lean soil: heavily composted beds push it toward lush foliage and few flowers, which defeats the point if you’re relying on it to attract pollinators or work as a trap crop. Trailing varieties spread further than bush types, so know which one you planted before you count on it staying put at the bed edge.
Common problems
An aphid infestation on your nasturtium isn’t a failure — it’s usually the plant doing exactly what it’s there for, especially when it’s planted near squash or other aphid-prone crops. The bigger problem is overwatering or over-fertilizing: too-rich soil produces oversized, floppy plants with disappointing bloom, since nasturtium evolved in leaner conditions than most garden flowers.
Where this fits in your garden
Nasturtium’s role as an aphid trap crop for squash is one of its best-documented garden uses — see the full companion guide for nasturtium. At one plant per square foot, it’s compact enough for the Garden Designer to tuck along a bed edge near squash or other aphid-prone crops without crowding them out.
Companion planting guide for Nasturtium · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 2-11. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Direct sow — Direct-sow outside — Nasturtium doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
Spacing: 1 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing).
Where to buy nasturtium seeds
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing nasturtium" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video — results vary and aren't vetted by us)