Nasturtium 'Tom Thumb' Seeds
If you have a vegetable patch, you need Nasturtium 'Tom Thumb'. Unlike the unruly trailing varieties that scramble everywhere, this is a specially bred dwarf variety. It forms neat, compact mounds of lily-pad leaves topped with vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers in fiery shades of orange, scarlet, and yellow.
But this plant is more than just a pretty face. It is a triple-threat: it looks beautiful edging a path, it acts as a "trap crop" to lure pests away from your precious vegetables, and every single part of it is edible. The leaves have a peppery kick like watercress, the flowers look stunning in salads, and the seeds can be pickled as "poor man's capers."
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Nasturtium is a vigorous Half-Hardy Annual.
It grows incredibly fast from seed but is killed by the first frost of winter.
The "Treat Mean" Rule: This is one of the few plants that hates rich soil. If you plant it in compost or feed it, it will produce huge, lush green leaves but zero flowers. Plant it in your worst, poorest soil, and it will flower its socks off in panic!
Top Tip: Use it as a "Sacrificial Lamb." Plant it next to your Runner Beans or Broad Beans. Blackfly (aphids) love Nasturtiums even more than beans, so they will attack this plant instead, keeping your crop clean.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Nasturtium seeds are large (like dried peas) and very easy to handle, making them perfect for children.
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors from April to June. Poke a hole 2cm deep and drop a seed in. They hate being transplanted, so direct sowing is best. Germination takes 10-14 days.
Where to Sow:
They demand full sun. They thrive in poor, dry, gritty soil. They are excellent for hot gravel gardens or dry banks where nothing else survives.
Care While Growing:
Do not feed them. Just water them occasionally in very dry spells. If they get covered in blackfly (doing their job!), simply snip off the infested stems and throw them in the compost; the plant will quickly regrow.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Tropaeolum majus (nanum) |
| Common Name | Nasturtium 'Tom Thumb' |
| Hardiness | H2 (Half-Hardy Annual) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 25cm - 30cm (Dwarf Bushy) |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 30cm apart |
| Great for | 🥗 Edible Flowers 🐛 Trap Cropping 🏺 Window Boxes 🧱 Path Edging |
| Seed Count | Approx. 35 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
'Tom Thumb' is best placed in the vegetable garden or at the front of a hot border:
- 🥒 Courgettes & Beans: The Protector. Plant a ring of Nasturtiums around your courgettes or at the base of your bean poles. They attract pollinators to set the fruit, while simultaneously distracting blackfly away from your crops.
- 🌼 Calendula 'Art Shades': The Edible Potager. Combine the citrus colours of Nasturtium with the apricot tones of Calendula. Both are edible, medicinal, and brilliant for biodiversity.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow outdoors in spring. Flowers mid-summer to first frost.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||||
| Flowers/Harvest | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Edibility Note
All parts of the Nasturtium are edible. The flowers taste sweet at first with a spicy aftertaste. The seeds are the hottest part and can be pickled in vinegar to make a brilliant alternative to capers!
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Nasturtiums are fantastic for biodiversity. The Cabbage White Butterfly will lay its eggs on the leaves (saving your cabbages!), and the flowers provide accessible nectar for bumblebees.
- Regular price
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£2.30 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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£2.30
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