When to plant and prune Nasturtium
Nasturtium flowers from late June to early October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Nasturtium is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| South Coast and Channel | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| East Anglia | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Northern England | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Northern Ireland | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to mid May | late June to early October | late June to late September |
Growing notes
Do not feed or plant in rich soil: the RHS is explicit that if the soil is too rich, foliage will be produced at the expense of flowers. Sow direct where they are to flower from March to May, in drills about 20mm deep with rows 30cm apart, thinning to 30cm. A single-season annual killed by the first frosts - in cold gardens delay sowing until frost risk has passed. Petals are edible and peppery in salads. Often used as a sacrificial magnet for cabbage white caterpillars and blackfly.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 30 cm
- Eventual spread
- 60 cm
- Hardiness
- H3
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- Yes
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 10 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
Pruning group
Deadhead spent flowers and trim back straggly growth to keep flowering going
What usually goes wrong
- blackfly (aphid) infestations
- cabbage white caterpillars
- all leaves and no flowers on rich soil
- slugs on seedlings
- killed by first frost
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for nasturtium.