Autumn Collection & Storing Nasturtium Seeds Over the Winter

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) are annual herbaceous flowering plants, that can be easily grown in flower gardens, planters and hanging baskets. These plants thrive in sunny areas and prefer well-drained soil. The flowers are showy and often grow in intensely bright shades of red, orange and yellow. These flowers as well as the young leaves are edible with a peppery taste and are popularly used in salads, as garnishing and decorating desserts. Nasturtium seeds are easy to grow from purchased seeds or collected from your own garden. Proper collection and storing of these seeds improves the successful growth of your plants for the following year. This can be accomplished in three easy steps, which will be explained at the end of this post.

Annual and edible bright orange nasturtium blooms growing in the summer garden.

Yellow nasturtium growing in the flower garden during the late summer.

Nasturtium climbing the front steps in the late summer.

One of the nasturtium gardens in front of the house.

Nasturtium seeds usually grow in pairs near the base of the old flower.

Nasturtium seeds on the ground ready for collection in the autumn.

A handful of collected nasturtium seeds ready for the drying process.

Collected nasturtium seeds.

How to Collect & Store Nasturtium Seeds

Step #1 Collect seeds from healthy and disease-free plants.

Step #2 Spread the seeds out in a bowl or plate to dry in a cool, dry and dark location. Allow the seeds to dry for about one to two weeks, making sure the seeds have turned from green and moist to brown and dried.

Step #3 Place the dried nasturtium seeds inside a jar and screw the lid on tightly. You can also add a silica packet to aid in moisture control. Store the jar in a cool and dark area until you are ready to plant the seeds in the following spring.

This is my first attempt at gathering and storing nasturtium seeds, so check back in the late summer and we will see if these seeds grow successfully!