NASTURTIUMS FOR POOR SOIL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 132, 1 December 1938, Page 30

NASTURTIUMS FOR POOR SOIL

There is scarcely a garden, however poor the soil may be, where nasturtiums will not grow, provided they are sown where they get the full sun; in fact the poorer the soil the more flowers they will produce. When grown on strong soikthe plants make rampant growth and very rank foliage at the expense of the flowers, while even those which are produced are largely hidden by the leaves. For edging the Tom Thumb varieties are good, making compact plants and producing plenty" of flowers in a wide range of colours. recently introduced "Gleam" varieties are a decided improvement, on the old sorts. They are semi-double and have ade-i lightful scent, and when grown in poor soil they are semi-dwarf. "Golden I

Gleam" is the best-known—a decided golden yellow. They may also be had in other colours, separately or mixed.

The plants do not always come quite true from seed, a fair percentage having single flowers. To overcome this difficulty and build up a good stock, plants may easily be raised from cuttings taken from selected plants. The cuttings root quite freely so long as they are kepi moist. The young plonts would have to be kept under cover during the winter as they will not survive frosts: Nasturtiums are very useful 1 for covering old sheds or fences and require no attention once the seedlings are through the ground. The blooms are excellent as cut flowers, lasting for several days in water.