Tip Top
What's special about Tip Top
Compact bush series bred for uniform bedding — mahogany, gold, salmon, and cherry-rose. 10 in.
Growing this variety
Tip Top follows the same growing basics as Nasturtium. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Nasturtium family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Poke a finger hole, drop the pea-sized seed, cover, water. Lean soil only — rich soil = all leaf, no flower.
Grower's tip
Every part is edible — peppery leaves in salad, blooms as garnish, seed pods pickled as capers.
Soil preferences
Well-drained garden soil. Native/wildflower species prefer lean soil; cutting flowers prefer richer beds.
6.0–7.0
Work 1 in of compost into beds before sowing. Skip nitrogen fertilizer on wildflowers — it favors foliage over blooms.
Watering
1 in per week during establishment, drought-tolerant once rooted for most species.
Deep, infrequent soakings at the base. Overhead water on ornamentals promotes botrytis and rust.
Overwatered: rotted crowns, mildew, floppy stems. Underwatered: small blooms, curled leaves, quick fade.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water at the base in the morning. Overhead water batters open flowers and spreads botrytis on tightly-packed blooms.
Temperature tolerance
60–80°F (16–27°C) ideal for most annuals
50–65°F (10–18°C)
Cool-season annuals (larkspur, poppy, snapdragon) tolerate light frost; warm-season annuals (zinnia, cosmos, marigold) are frost-tender.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
8–14 in (20–35 cm) wide
Compact and dwarf types do best in pots; tall cutting flowers need staking.
Succession planting
Sow cutting flowers (zinnia, cosmos, sunflower) every 3 weeks through midsummer for continuous cut stems.
Detailed harvesting
Cut in early morning when stems are turgid. For cutting varieties, harvest when the bud is just showing color and 1–2 outer petals have opened.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Immediately re-cut stems underwater and place in clean cool water for 4 hrs before arranging. Petals can be dried on screens for potpourri or crafts.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Cut flowers, dried arrangements, pollinator habitat, edible garnishes (borage, nasturtium, calendula, viola).
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Mostly insect-pollinated (outcrossing).
For pure strains, isolate 150–800 ft or bag heads. Wildflower mixes are meant to cross freely.
Stop deadheading favorite blooms; let heads dry brown and rattling on the stem, then collect into a paper bag.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for nasturtium in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Tip Top Nasturtium notes
Tip Top Nasturtium seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow nasturtium from what you already have
Deadhead less. Let the best blooms fade and set seed on the plant — that's your next year's packet.
- 1Mark 2–3 of your favorite flowers with a bit of yarn and stop deadheading them.
- 2Wait until the seed head or pod dries fully on the plant — brown, papery, and rattling.
- 3Cut whole heads into a paper bag on a dry day; shake or rub to free seed.
- 4Sieve out chaff and store cool and dry in a labeled envelope.
Storage: 2–5 years for most flower seed.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
Loading…
Other Nasturtium varieties
Empress of India
55 daysHeirloom bush type with dark blue-green foliage and deep crimson-scarlet blooms. 10–12 in mound.
Alaska
50 daysCream-and-green marbled variegated leaves with mixed yellow, orange, and red blooms. Compact 12 in bush.
Whirlybird
55 daysUpward-facing spurless blooms — flowers sit above the foliage instead of hiding. Bright mixed colors, 12 in bush.
Jewel Mix
55 daysThe classic bushy 12 in mix in yellow, orange, and red. The one most seed packets contain.
Climbing / Trailing
65 daysVining types that scramble 6–8 ft up trellises or spill from baskets. Great for pole-bean interplants.
Single Mix
55 daysClassic single-petaled nasturtium mix — bright, peppery, and easy.
Dwarf Jewel
55 daysCompact 10–12 in plants with jewel-toned single flowers.