YOUR SIMPLE GROWING PLAN
One pot. Here’s the plan.
A sunny patio with room for a spreading plant. Start with seeds.
At least 10 inches deep, with drainage and space around the rim.
Choose compact Empress of India, not a tall trailing mix.
- 01
Fill and dampen the pot
Leave 1 inch of space below the rim. Moisten the mix evenly before sowing; do not add fertilizer granules.
- 02
Sow two near the center
Place 2 seeds about 2 inches apart and cover with ½ inch of mix. Water gently. Keep the surface moist while they sprout.
- 03
Keep one strong seedling
After true leaves appear, snip the weaker seedling at soil level. Give the remaining plant the whole pot and keep its roots undisturbed.
- 04
Make room for the flowers
Let the leaves spread over the rim. Remove faded flowers to encourage more blooms and check the mix each morning.
Another way to start
Buy one young nursery start+
Choose a labeled compact nasturtium, ideally Empress of India. Set its intact root ball at its previous soil level and water it in. A long trailing or climbing type needs a different amount of space.
When to water.
Check each morning. Once the plant is established, water when the top inch is beginning to dry, then let excess escape through the holes. Seedlings need a more consistently moist surface. A small pot can dry quickly in heat or wind; check again if necessary, without keeping the roots permanently wet.
Exactly what to feed it.
With the fresh enriched potting mix in this recipe, add no extra fertilizer at planting. Nasturtiums can make lots of leaves and fewer flowers when overfed.
USE THE NUTRIENTS ALREADY IN THE MIX
No separate fertilizer to buy at the start
Do not schedule a weekly or monthly liquid feed for this starter plan. If growth becomes weak or pale later, first check light, moisture, and drainage, then check the bag’s feeding directions. The included nutrients do not last forever, but a lack of flowers alone is not a reason to add fertilizer.
A little patience pays off.
Seedlings commonly appear in about 7–10 days in suitable warmth. Empress of India is a compact, dark-leaved type with red flowers; the seed supplier estimates roughly 55–65 days from sowing to bloom, with weather affecting the pace.
When should I start where I live?+
Sow outdoors after frost danger has passed. In very hot regions, choose a milder frost-free growing window and consider afternoon shade. Use local Extension dates rather than a nationwide planting month.
For regional planting windows, find your local Cooperative Extension office ↗.
Something looking off?
Why do I have lots of leaves but few flowers?+
Check whether the pot is too shady or has been heavily fed. Do not add bloom fertilizer automatically; excess nutrition can be part of the problem.
Do I need a trellis?+
This plan uses a compact cultivar and does not need a tall trellis. Packets labeled trailing or climbing can grow much farther and need a different plan.
What are the little insects on new shoots?+
Nasturtiums can attract aphids. Inspect soft new growth and leaf undersides. For a small colony, a gentle stream of water can help; keep checking rather than treating every blemish as the same pest.
A little more growing know-how.
Read the cultivar name+
Compact garden nasturtiums appear under both Tropaeolum majus and T. minus in horticultural references. The practical choice here is the named Empress of India cultivar, not every plant sold simply as nasturtium.
One plant is enough to begin+
Two seeds provide a spare seedling, not two plants to keep. The 12-inch pot is our simple container layout, with room for the foliage to grow beyond the rim.
BEHIND THIS GUIDE
Where the advice comes from.
Plant care is based on the sources below. Planting layouts and beginner routines combine that guidance into one practical plan; they are editorial choices, not results from a Plant Care Steps growing trial.
- Wisconsin Extension: dwarf types, sowing, and restrained feeding ↗
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds: Empress of India cultivar and flowering estimate ↗
- NC State: nasturtium light, growth, and pests ↗
- Iowa State: monitoring nutrients in containers with pre-fertilized mix ↗
- Manufacturer: starter feed in the named potting mix ↗
Compiled with AI assistance. These first-edition guides have not yet had an independent horticultural review. Read our editorial approach.
