Tropaeolum majus

Morning GTers 👋 Foggy start here in Cambs. Here's one of my nasturtiums from last year and YES that is a cabbage white caterpillar. These guys will decimate your #brassicas! #Organic ways to control them include using netting on your brassicas and planting #nasturtiums as a sacrificial crop. #buglife #tips #pestcontrol

Digforsaninty@ where in Cambs are you?

Sunny Sawtry! Tucked right in at the bottom of the hills (yes, there are hills in Cambs before anyone asks).

They decimated my nasturtiums lash year 🤔😩😩

#Sawtry #Cambridgeshire #caterpillar #insects #bugs #advice #pests

If you've seen my other photos then you'll know I love #edible flowers. Nasturtiums are ace, aren't they? So pretty and fab in a salad. Also a great sacrificial crop to keep the butterflies off your brassicas #red #nasturtium #edibleflower

I love nasturtium... Although mine always get absolutely covered in black fly every year and I don't like to use chemical sprays...any advice? 🤔

@harebell I spray mine with water mix with washing up liquid and it does the trick

I shall have to try that... Thank you very much... I was beginning to think I might not bother with them any more but this summer I will give it ago again now 👍

This one is a particularly good colour!

#advice #tip #blackfly #organic #salad #sacrificialcrop

Ditto @ben1984 👌🏻 ( for really annoying black fly I add garlic in the mix too... 😈)

We love them, we have them growing en masse down our front wall. People nick 'em for their salads ;)

Which part of the nasturtium do you eat?

@harebell it's all edible- leaves and flowers can go in a salad. Seeds can be pickled and used in place of capers.

If you're getting a lot of blackfly it might be that the plant isn't happy. Mine get blackfly if i put them in the front garden. It's too dry and hot for them there. But they are fine in the back garden.

@digforsanity thanks for that I didn't realise they didn't like it too hot I've been putting them in hanging baskets and tubs along with bedding plants in the hottest part of my garden lol...this year I will try some in a more shaded area on their own and see how they go on 👍