How to: Prefer nasturtiums in the house

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) is one of the most popular garden plants. They are mainly found in cottage gardens. If you want to benefit from the flowers early on, you can prefer nasturtiums with the right instructions in the house.

Best time

Because germination and development into a young plant take a certain amount of time, the timing should be be chosen for the beginning of the pre-breeding so that the young plants bloom in the garden bed from mid-May can. This results in an optimal time window between mid-March and the end of March.

You can also start growing nasturtiums at a later point in time. However, the first flowering will then be delayed. Pre-breeding only towards the end of April is therefore not worthwhile, because from mid-May directly into the bed with less effort

sown can be.

Instructions for preferring

To be preferred by nasturtiums following utensils needed:

• small plant pots or nursery boxes
• Nasturtium seeds
• translucent film
• nutrient-poor substrate or special potting soil
• if necessary wooden sticks as climbing / stability aid

So is the case with sowing Step by step proceed:

1. Fill pots with soil to about 1.5 centimeters below the edge.
2. Press one or two seeds per pot about 1.5 centimeters into the surface of the soil.
3. Keep a planting distance of between 20 and 30 centimeters.
4. Cover the seeds only about one to two centimeters thick with soil, since nasturtiums are dark germs.
5. Moisten the soil moderately with lime-free water. It shouldn't be too wet.
6. Finally, stretch a foil over the pot.
7. Move the cultivation container to a bright and warm location. Windowsills or greenhouses are recommended. With an optimal ambient temperature between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius, avoid direct sunlight. That doesn't do the seeds any good.
8. After a germination period of about 10 to 14 days, the first seedlings appear. At temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius, this can sometimes take up to 20 days.

Tip: If you want to reduce the germination time, you should leave the seeds for about five hours before sowing put in warm water. This softens the hard seed coat and moisture gets inside the seed more quickly, which makes it easier for the seedling to "break through" from the seed core through the peel.

Care during pre-breeding

Growing the nasturtiums should not be left to your own devices after sowing. Some care measures are required so that germination takes place and the young plant can form:

• Open the foil daily so that air can be exchanged
• When the foil is open, it is advisable to check the moisture content and, if necessary, to rewash it
• Turn the pot evenly towards the light every three to four days if it is shining on one side
• as soon as germination is visible, remove the foil
• in the following time keep the soil slightly moist
• prick out when the plants are four to five centimeters high
• Put in normal nutrient-rich substrate
• Stabilize trailing varieties later with toothpicks or kebab skewers

Tip: Use a spray container for watering. This prevents the seed from being washed out. In addition, the surface of the earth is easier to keep moist without water sinking to the ground and, in the worst case, mold forming.

Plant nasturtiums

Under no circumstances should nasturtiums be placed in the garden bed or in the outdoor tub before the ice saints in mid-May. In principle, they do not tolerate frosty temperatures, as they can still occur up to then. The young plants in particular are very sensitive. Therefore: wait until mid-May before planting beds and exposing them.

Tip: The individual specimens, whether bushy or with climbing shoots, can now be placed in suitable groups in the bed. So every growth form comes into its own.

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