Nasturtium Tom Thumb

Tropaeolum majus

Colorful summer flower in yellow, orange and red shades. The variety produces compact plants, great as an edging plant, in balcony boxes and in flower beds. The flowers are edible, decorative in salads. Grows well in lean and well-drained soil. In too-nutrient-rich soil, the leaves develop at the expense of the flowers. Water regularly. Place the seeds in lukewarm water a day before sowing, and they will germinate more reliably.

Bush cress 'Tom Thumb' is a variety that does not grow very tall, 30-40 centimeters. It blooms in bright orange, yellow and red.

 The flowering period is long, from early summer until autumn. 

The leaves have a pleasant sting reminiscent of watercress which is delicious on sandwiches or to spice up a sallad. The flavour intensifies during sunny, hot weather. The flowers are also edible with a milder flavour, and add instant wow to a salad or sandwich. Immature seeds can be pickled and used as capers.

Butterflies love them also!

Nasturtium leaves are not only edible and tasty, they are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and D, beta-carotene, iron, manganese, and flavonoids.

Bush cress 'Tom Thumb' is also a good plant to choose to bring floral splendor into the kitchen garden. Bush cress does well when planted on a wall and is allowed to hang down and form a flower curtain. Plant bush cress in lean soil. It thrives best in a semi-shady location, preferably with shade in the afternoon. Remove all seed pods so that the plant puts energy into forming new flowers instead.

Tip! Bush cress is loved by aphids and can therefore be used as an aphid trap. Put bush cress in pots and place the pots next to plants that are prone to aphids. The aphids will then choose the bush cress instead, and you can move the pots to a safe place in the garden to flush the aphids away. Then the pots can be moved back to catch more.

Flowering may be reduced in the hottest Summer weather. Leave them be - they'll perk up again when cooler weather comes.

Pre-cultivation: April - mid-May, 8 weeks before last frost. Place the seeds in lukewarm water for a day before planting to help them germinate faster. Sow one to two seeds per pot. To simplify cultivation and avoid replanting before you put the plants out, you can fill the pot with a more nutritious soil, such as potting soil. Add about 3-4 centimeters of soil on top and sow your seeds. This way, the roots will reach down to the nutritious soil when the plant has grown a little bigger. Store at room temperature. Once the seeds have germinated, move them to a cool, bright place. Harden off the plants in a shady spot outdoors before planting them in their final growing location.

Sow 1-2 seeds/pot in moist soil. Place at room temperature, after emergence in a bright and cool place.

Direct sowing: May to Mid-June. Soak the seeds for a day in warm water before sowing. Water the seedbed before sowing. Keep the soil moist after sowing until germination has started. Thrives in sun to partial shade in lean and well-drained soil. In overly nutritious soil, the leaves develop at the expense of the flowers.

Sow depth: 2 cm

Flowering: July-September

Spacing: 20 cm / 1 plant per GreenStalk pocket

Height, cm: 30-40

Location: Sun, partial shade

Annual

Number of seeds: 36