Nasturtiums are lovely plants with edible flowers and leaves. They are peppery-spicy, and add a nice taste when mixed into a salad. I have some flowers growing with irrigation and some without, some in full sun and some in shade, and all seem to being doing quite well.
According to wikipedia (buyer beware): "Nasturtiums are also considered widely useful companion plants. They repel a great many cucurbit pests, like squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and several caterpillars. They had a similar range of benefits for brassica plants, especially broccoli and cauliflower. They also attract black fly aphids, and are sometimes planted in the hope of saving crops susceptible to them (as a trap crop). They may also attract beneficial, predatory insects."
I have not had any problems so far with the aforementioned insects, but my uncle has. Perhaps nasturtiums have been helping?
Friday, July 25, 2008
Spice up your Salad!
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3 comments:
Very cool. Never knew the Nasturiums were so useful! Cucurbitacins are what make zucchini bitter too. Doesn't happen often, but it's horrible when it does.
I did a post on cucurbitacins.
Thanks for the info.
Hi, Dave!
Your blog is super cool. It is a combination of science and food. I love it! Thanks for writing!
I love Nasties. They're great flowers and so useful in some food. They also can be used as sacrificial plants in the garden.
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