This Autumn, you may see one particular “weed” around that is one hell of a handy plant, after all the definition of a weed is just a plant in the wrong place! So if you do not have Nasturtiums in your backyard you best get them growing, and here are 11 reasons why……
Are you looking for a winter crop that’s got more reasons why its great than letters in its name?
- Easy to pull up in spring, removing a few square meters of Nasturtiums is about 100 times easier than any other weed
- Attracts bees and pollinators
- Stops more invasive weeds taking over
- Strong fragrance makes them great as a cut flower
- All parts of the plant are edible. The leaves make great rice paper alternatives for rolls. The flowers a delicious addition to a salad or stir-fry and the seeds can be collected and pickled to make “poor man’s capers”
- High in vitamins A, & C
- They prefer a poor soil so no soil preparations, regular fertilizers or general care is needed.
- Can be grown as a hanging plant, ground cover, over the side of walls and rockeries,
- Great companion plant- plant amongst cabbage and broccoli to deter cabbage moth
- Nasturtium leaf tea- effective control against aphids, although don’t forget to leave a trap crop!
Bonus Reason
The leaves are a natural hay fever remedy
Edible weeds and flowers salad, featuring the delicious and nutritious Nasturtium flower.
Botanical Name Tropaeolum maius There are over 80 species of Nasturtiums.
How to plant your nasturtiums
Plant them in a sunny position, no need to build up the soil before hand- they actually thrive in poor soil conditions. They can be potted or planted straight into the garden. They are great as a protective barrier from pests around the bottom of raised bed vegetable gardens.
Abundant in Health benefits
Well there are obvious health benefits’ in eating nasturtiums due to their high volumes of vitamin c. But did you know – The leaves are a natural Antibiotic so load up with them next time you feel a cold coming. And Unlike common antibiotic drugs this will not interfere with delicate intestinal flora & has been found to actually be effective against some of the microorganisms that have built up resistance to common antibiotic drugs.
Looking for a Natural Hay Fever Remedy Anyone?
Just by adding a few leaves or flowers to your salad you can actually reduce your hay fever symptoms. I hope you don’t mind them looking pretty while they fix you up.
Beauty benefits- Get Glowing with your own Natural Beauty Regime
A tea solution can be used as an alternative to toner, especially effective if you have oily skin.
Ancient use of Nasturtiums see it being used as a hair tonic & scientific research backs this up. Applying the tea solution can stimulate capillaries increasing circulation and the flow of nutrients to the scalp.
How to use Nasturtiums to their full potential
Plant your nasturtiums in Autumn. They seeds from last year just come up naturally in my garden but it is important to pull the plants up at the beginning of spring to control the amount of seeds that are distributed. Just think, every flower will become a seed, each seed will become a plant, and we all know how big each nasturtium plants grows so we really only need a few seeds/plants per garden. A the end of the growing cycle, in spring/summer harvest as many seeds as you can for pickling and just letting a few loose to naturally come up when they are ready next year.
Get Glowing- Natural Beauty Secrets-
Learn to unlock the secrets of the plant world and how to use them as an alternative to the man made products we commonly see today. Learn why ancient tribes around the world have been using plants for beauty and health since the beginning of time. Follow the link for more info https://www.gaiasorganicgardens.com.au/natural-beauty-secrets/
Thirsty for more info?
If you would like any more information on edible weeds, herbs for beauty or the unknown uses of your existing plants than contact us today, we would love to hear from you!
