Empress of India is a low growing plant with beautiful, attractive and unusual deep red flowers surrounded by contrasting, light-green leaves with white veins. The edible flowers have a slightly peppery flavour. Put this easy to grow, semi hardy annual on a sunny plot with a bit of shade and some support. Very well suited for any garden and for growing in large pots and containers. Very attractive to bees and butterflies. Nasturium is very sensitive to aphis. Annual. Height: 30 cm.
Soaking: 24 hours
Sowing indoors: end of March - mid April
Sowing outdoors: middle of May - June
Germination: 10 - 14 days
Germination temp.: 18 - 20 °C
Sowing depth: ¼ - ½ cm
Sowing distance in rows: 25 cm
Plant distance: 30 cm
Plant position: sunny with well-drained and sandy soil
Flowering period: June - October
Soak the seeds 24 hours before sowing in tepid water. Sow indoors in trays or individual pots from end of March till mid April and put the trays or pots in a warm room or propagator. Make sure the germination temp. is about 18 °C and keep this temperature as constant as possible. Don't let the temperature drop during the night. Cover the seeds with a layer of potting soil. Keep moist and warm during sowing and germination. Cover the tray or pots with a lid or some clingfilm. After about 10 -14 days the seedlings emerge. Remove the lid or clingfilm when the seedlings have emerged. Harden the seedlings of for approx. 10 - 14 days by putting them in the sun during the day from the first of May or put them in a coldframe. Plant the seedlings outdoors in the middle May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrosts. Put the seedlings on a sunny plot with free draining and sandy soil and keep the plants about 30 cm apart. Don't fertilize the plants because this causes to much foliage growth and not enough flower growth. Don't overwater the Nasturtium plants.
Sow outdoors on a sunny plot with some free draining soil and some shade, from May on, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrosts. Sow thinly in rows about 25 cm apart and cover the seeds with some soil or rake in gently. Keep moist and weedfree. After about 10-14 days the seedlings emerge. Thin them to 30 cm apart, when they're are about 5-8 cm tall. Thinned seedlings can be replanted. Nasturium needs a sunny plot with free draining and sandy soil. Don't fertilize the plants because this causes to much foliage growth and not enough flower growth. Don't overwater the Nasturtium plants. Nasturium is very attractive to lice and can be used to make sure the lice leave other plants alone.
