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Large nasturtiums in wild flower patch

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  • 21-11-2020 4:08pm
    #1
    Southern Comfort
    Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭


    I planted a wild flower garden earlier this year. It was a great success initially but, bit by bit, very large nasturtiums started to take over and eventually more or less smothered the other flowers.
    The nasturtium flowers have disappeared now but the enormous leaves remain.
    I'm hoping to plant more wild flowers in the spring.

    How should I prevent the same thing happening again next year?

    Should I weed out the ones that are there currently?

    And can you get a wild flower mix that doesn't contain nasturtiums?

    Thanks.


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    #2
    Southern Comfort
    Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭Southern Comfort


    Images attached......


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    #3
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,088 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    A couple of things come to mind.

    Nasturtiums are not native, and so would not be appropriate in a pack of wildflower seeds.
    Its possible that the seeds did not come from the wildflower packet but were introduced from nearby. The seeds are so large and conspicuous it would be unlikely they would be 'hidden' in a packet.
    If they are growing very large leaves with possibly minimum flowers then the ground is too fertile for them, and this generally means too fertile for wild flowers.
    If the flowers have gone then the seeds will have been already spread, suggest you pick out the nastertiums next year as you see them germinate. They absolutely will take over.

    Packs of wildflower seeds are a bit of a liability as most of them are more 'packs of pretty, easy annuals' than wild flowers, so you can get all sorts of things included that are not strictly wildflowers - cultivars of annuals for example. If you just want a mixed flower bed then that can be fine. If you want a mix of native varieties that will match up with the requirements of insects etc here, then you will have to be a bit more careful about what you buy. Most of the packs you see in hardward and diy type stores are not great.


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    #4
    Southern Comfort
    Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭Southern Comfort


    Thanks for the reply, Looksee.

    It's interesting that you say that the ground might be too fertile for them. I made that flower bed this year, mostly with the full contents of of my compost bin. That might explain the size of them alright.

    You also say that the seeds of nasturtiums are large and conspicuous. One of the packets of seeds that I used had about 10 large seeds in it. The packet said it contained sunflowers but no sunflowers appeared. Interesting.......

    I'll probably pull out the ones that are growing there at the moment and look out for the new ones next year and pull them out, as you advised.

    Could you recommend a pack of wild flowers that I could use next year that might be of higher quality?

    Thanks again.


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    #5
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,088 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Nasturtium seeds are round, about the size of small peas with a light brown, slightly wrinkly surface. Sunflower seeds are large, flat, pointed.

    Contact one of the Irish wildflower seed firms, wildflowers.ie is one, there are several. Its better to get seeds that are local to where you are, rather than buying, say, English seeds, which might be slightly different species.


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    #6
    Southern Comfort
    Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭Southern Comfort


    Thanks again, Looksee.....


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    #7
    BaRamEwe
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭BaRamEwe


    Nasturtiums are a climber, you could hang chicken wire from the top of your wall, the Nasturtium can be trained to climb up it, so you could hide the bare wall with them.


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