How to care for the nasturtium flower

Have you ever heard of the nasturtium flower? This is not only a beautiful plant to decorate the home, but also it has many benefits for us. In fact, in some countries it is a fairly common ingredient for preparing culinary dishes. You may find it interesting to find out how to care for the nasturtium flower, if you have any thoughts of growing it.

Before explaining the care that this vegetable requires, we are going to talk a little about what this flower is, what its properties are and how it is used in the kitchen. If you dare, you can try it one day in salad or soup, perhaps you will discover your new favorite ingredient.

What does the nasturtium flower mean?

The nasturtium flower, also known as taco de reina or cress, has its origin in South America, specifically in the Andes region. It was introduced to Europe in the XNUMXth century and its cultivation here spread very quickly, especially as an ornamental plant. However, in some countries such as Chile or Mexico, It is quite common to consume this vegetable as food. Its scientific name, A larger trophycomes from the Greek and means “small trophy.” This name comes to the hair, since it has flowers and leaves when many other plants lack them.

The cultivation of the nasturtium flower is very simple. It adapts to almost any type of soil and potted does not require excessive care.

This plant blooms during the spring and throughout the summer, with the best planting time being in late spring. As for watering, the best is to do it in small quantities and avoid getting too waterlogged.

It should be noted that the nasturtium flower can be used for hair and skin treatments. What’s more, it has a number of beneficial properties for us. We are going to list some below:

• Antibiotics (effective against a high number of germs, such as staph, strep, and salmonella)
• Antiscorbutics
• Appetizers
• Balsamic
• Disinfectants (for acute infections of the bronchi and urinary tract)
• Oral anti-inflammatory
• Expectorants

Gastronomy

As we have already mentioned above, the nasturtium flower is used in some countries as food. This vegetable began to be used in the kitchen since ancient times due to its flavor a little spicy, similar to pepper. The whole plant is usually used in some types of salad and is usually exquisitely combined with parsley, chives and tarragon.

In the event that we want to use only the fruits, we can create a good aperitif with them marinated in vinegar and salt. Of course, it is important that they are unripe. Another part of this vegetable that can be served at the culinary level are the leaves, which are usually added to soups to give them a pleasant flavor. We also have the option of using only the petals of the nasturtium flower. This is where the somewhat spicy flavor that characterizes this vegetable is concentrated. They can be used raw in salads and mousses. If we fill the flowers with cheese, chives, salt and pepper, they are really delicious.

Description of the cappuccino flower

We already know what properties the nasturtium flower has and how it is prepared in the concia. But what does it look like? It is an annual herbaceous plant that can become perennial if temperatures remain warm throughout the year. Its growth is creeping, but it can also climb. It has rounded and fleshy leaves which are divided into segments.

Like the leaves, the fruits are also fleshy and green. Once they mature, they become light brown in color and can be up to twelve millimeters wide. Each flower can bear up to three fruits from a single seed. Speaking of flowers, these are usually red or orange and trumpet-shaped. They are really very striking and beautify any environment.

How do you take care of the nasturtium?

Now we are going to comment on what really interests us: How to care for the nasturtium flower. It is a really simple task. It can be found in full sun or in half shade, but be careful, too much shade inhibits flowering while too much sun can spoil the plant, especially in dry climates. It is a very cold resistant vegetable. However, it does not bear frost well.

It should be noted that it adapts well to almost all types of soil. Yes it is important that the drainage is good and avoid puddles so that the roots do not rot. As for the subscriber, this must be done with products with a lot of phosphorus but poor in nitrogen.

As you can see, growing and maintaining this plant does not have much mystery. Now that you know how to take care of the nasturtium flower, you can try it yourself and even use it in a dish that you prepare in the kitchen. If you want, tell us your experience in the comments.