Nasturtium flowers, leaves and even seeds are edible. They have a long history of culinary use and have a slightly sweet, peppery taste.
They’re also used in traditional medicine, With antibiotic properties, they can be used to treat various ailments such as coughs!
Plants growing in containers should be watered to keep the compost evenly moist. Deadheading (cutting off) the flowers will encourage more blooms over a longer period and you can enjoy eating them on top of a salad!
Getting started
Make a few evenly spaced holes in the soil as deep as your fingernail. Add two seeds to each and cover with soil. You can start off outdoors if it’s sunny, or somewhere warm and bright indoors like a windowsill if it's cold outside. Keep the soil damp, not drenched.
Cut a plastic bottle in half and place over where you planted the seeds. This will keep them warm and moist.
Thin out any extra seedlings after about two weeks when 5cm tall to prevent them competing for nutrients.
Growing on
Indoor-sown seeds can be moved out after May. You can mulch with straw to reduce moisture loss from the soil.
Check the soil moisture and water if dry, particularly during dry spells. Give them a good watering once they start to flower.
Munch time
Nasturtium leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible. The flowers and young leaves have a peppery taste and are a great addition to salads.
The seed pods can be used as a substitute for capers. Pick them when mature but still green, and pickle them in vinegar.
Recipes
Coming soon 👀
How-to videos
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