Never growing nasturtiums again.

[Paranoidandroidmarvin]

First time growing them from seed. And my goodness they are hard work.
Not sure if it’s just mine. But every morning I have to go out and clean it.

The aphids have mostly gone now but for months it was … get up…. Get rid of a ton of aphids and move on with my day. I then had to go back and do it again in the evening.

Now. I’m out there three times a day getting rid of the yellow eggs and caterpillars. I had 20 caterpillars on there the other day.

They are just too hard to look after!!!!!

They are specifically used to attract pests from your other plants, so you are missing the point of them somewhat.

I thought this was going to be a post about the millions of seedlings you get forever afterwards. I'm a lazy gardener though. I grow them for the colour and because they are low effort. That and the pest attracting quality.

Yes they are companion/sacrificial plants really.

I’d happily let butterflies lay their eggs on mine (as opposed to my purple sprouting brocolli which I’ve netted) it’s lovely seeing butterflies in the garden although my poor old nasturtium leaves have been stripped by the caterpillars, I just see it as doing my bit for nature.

I love nasturtiums. Always plant them with other things to attract the pests away. But I love them in their own right too.

Yes that's why I grow them too. They're sacrificial in a veg garden as the butterflies and aphids seem to prefer them to other cabbage family veg. Also just leave the bugs alone and as long as you don't use pesticides in your garden you'll find the sparrows and blue tits will be along soon to eat them all. The nasturtiums do not care about pests they'll just keep growing more and more leaves and flowers.

They're star performer plants OP. Every part of them is edible for a start (swill any aphids off before eating, you can pickle the fiery seeds like capers or eat them raw). They brighten upflower beds and come up year after year if you don't collect up all the seed heads from the ground. Stick with it!

I loved them as a child because of the caterpillars, I always had a jar of caterpillars!
And that's why I despise the fashion for smart restaurants to put nasturtium leaves and flowers in salads. 🤮

I love them and grow several types every year. We eat them and I think they are so pretty, plus yes they keep the caterpillars off my broccoli.

I grew them so my kids could see the eggs and caterpillars. They were fascinated by them.

Why don't you just let the aphids and caterpillars have what they want, there'll probably be still be lots left I always find.

Just leave the aphids and caterpillars - the aphids feed the ladybirds and the caterpillars become lovely cabbage whites.

I use them as the sacrificial lamb. They're there to get eaten. Leaves the rest of the shit alone.

And they're like ruddy weeds. Trust me just leave them alone, they'll be fine.

they are one of the few things that grows reliably in my garden where the slugs and squirrels eat everything else. dunno why.

I left the black fly for nature to deal with 😆 My nasturtiums are now almost completely gone.

I dislike them but I grow them purely for the caterpillars

Mine were a but rubbiish this year sadly