Nasturtium Peach Melba is a compact variety with creamy yellow to soft peach flowers marked by orange-red patches near the centre. The semi-double blooms rise above rounded blue-green leaves, making their unusual colouring easy to see. Its neat, bushy growth suits pots, borders and small flower beds.

Garden Nasturtium is native to South America and grows best during cool to mild weather. Peach Melba remains shorter and less trailing than many common Nasturtiums, providing colour throughout Pakistan’s winter and spring without requiring a climbing support.

Why Grow It

• Peach Melba Colour: Creamy blooms feature bold orange-red markings.
• Compact Growth: Bushy plants fit easily into pots and smaller spaces.
• Quick Flowering: Plants can begin blooming within one cool season.
• Pollinator Friendly: The spurred flowers attract bees and visiting insects.

Best Conditions

• Germination: Usually 7–21 days
• Temperature: Around 15–21°C
• Sunlight: At least 5–6 hours
• Pot size: 8–12-inch-wide pot or larger
• Spacing: About 8–12 inches between plants
• Plant height: Usually around 8–14 inches
• Spread: Approximately 12–18 inches
• Soil: Light, moderately fertile and well-draining mix

In Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, sow from September to November, or again from late January to February. In hotter areas such as Karachi and southern Punjab, sow from October to January after the strongest summer heat has eased. In colder northern and hilly areas, sow from March to April after the risk of hard frost has passed.

How to Sow

Nasturtium is easiest to sow directly in its final pot or flower bed because young roots dislike unnecessary disturbance.

1. Fill the container with moist and well-draining potting mix.
2. Make planting holes around ½ inch deep and 8–12 inches apart.
3. Place one or two seeds in each hole and cover them lightly.
4. Water gently and keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings appear.
5. Remove the weaker seedling if two plants emerge in one position.

Plant Care

Water when the upper layer of soil begins to dry. Keep young plants evenly moist while they establish, but do not leave the roots in soggy soil. Established plants can handle short dry periods, although prolonged dryness may reduce flowering.

Mix only a small amount of Vermicompost into the soil before sowing. Heavy feeding can produce many leaves with fewer flowers. If aphids gather under the leaves or around tender stems, apply Neem Oil, avoiding open flowers.

Local Gardener Tips

• Sow in the final container to avoid disturbing young roots.
• Give plants full winter sun and light afternoon shade in warm spring weather.
• Protect young seedlings from snails, birds and forceful watering.
• Avoid placing pots where water collects after rain.

Flowering

Plants usually begin flowering around 8–10 weeks after sowing. The creamy peach flowers appear above the rounded foliage while temperatures remain cool to mild.

Remove faded flowers regularly to encourage more buds. Leave a few healthy seedpods to mature and dry if you want to collect seeds at the end of the season.

FAQs

Can Peach Melba Nasturtium climb a support?

Peach Melba is a compact, non-trailing variety. It forms a low mound rather than long climbing vines, so it does not require a trellis.

Should the seeds be soaked before sowing?

Soaking is optional, but it can soften the firm seed coat. Soak the seeds in room-temperature water for 8–12 hours, then sow them immediately.

Will collected seeds produce the same flowers?

Seeds collected from isolated Peach Melba plants should produce similar flowers. If other Nasturtium varieties grow nearby, cross-pollination may cause differences in colour or growth.

Common names: Nasturtium Peach Melba, Peach Melba Nasturtium, Garden Nasturtium, Indian Cress, Tropaeolum majus 'Peach Melba'