Alaska Mix Nasturtium (Nasturtium) care

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where alaska mix nasturtium thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Performs best in full sun. Tolerates partial shade (3–4 hours sun) but produces fewer flowers and taller, more sprawling stems in lower light. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for when the top 3–5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7 days for alaska mix nasturtium, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Drought-tolerant once established. Overwatering and rich soil produce lush leaves but few flowers. Water at the base; avoid waterlogged conditions.

Soil and pot

Alaska Mix Nasturtium grows best in poor to moderately fertile, well-draining loam or sandy soil. Unusually, nasturtiums bloom most freely in lean, poor soil. Rich compost-amended beds promote foliage at the expense of flowers. pH 6.0–7.5 suitable. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Alaska Mix Nasturtium sits happiest at around 30–65% humidity and 10–24°C (50–75°F). Tolerant of a range of humidity levels. Good air circulation is beneficial to prevent aphid build-up and powdery mildew in late season. If you keep the room above 10–24°C year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed alaska mix nasturtium sparingly. Avoid feeding altogether in average garden soil. In very poor sandy soil, a single dilute balanced application at planting is sufficient. More fertiliser causes all-leaf, no-flower growth. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on alaska mix nasturtium in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Aphids (blackfly) — Nasturtiums are notorious aphid magnets — sometimes used as trap crops deliberately. For ornamental use, spray with insecticidal soap or a jet of water.
• Caterpillars (Large White butterfly) — Larvae defoliate plants rapidly; pick off by hand or use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray.
• Powdery mildew — Appears in late summer on stressed plants; improve air circulation and remove affected leaves.
• Slugs — Seedlings are vulnerable; use physical barriers or iron phosphate pellets.
• Poor flowering in rich soil — The most common issue; avoid adding compost or fertiliser to the planting area.

Companion plants

Alaska Mix Nasturtium pairs well with Cucurbita pepo, Brassica oleracea, Lycopersicon esculentum, and Phaseolus vulgaris. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Direct-sow seeds outdoors after last frost, 12–15 mm deep, spacing 20–25 cm apart. Seeds have a hard coat — soak overnight in warm water to improve germination. Germination in 7–14 days. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Alaska Mix Nasturtium is mildly toxic to pets. The ASPCA lists Tropaeolum majus as toxic to dogs and cats, noting the isothiocyanate compounds can cause gastrointestinal upset if consumed in significant quantities. The edible-use designation applies to humans, not pets. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Alaska Mix Nasturtium deep-dive guides

Every aspect of alaska mix nasturtium care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common alaska mix nasturtium problems & fixes
• Alaska Mix Nasturtium watering schedule
• Alaska Mix Nasturtium light requirements
• Best soil mix for alaska mix nasturtium
• Alaska Mix Nasturtium fertilizing guide
• When to repot alaska mix nasturtium
• How to propagate alaska mix nasturtium
• How to prune alaska mix nasturtium
• What's eating my alaska mix nasturtium?
• Alaska Mix Nasturtium growth rate & size
• Alaska Mix Nasturtium cold hardiness
• Alaska Mix Nasturtium temperature & humidity
• Is alaska mix nasturtium toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is alaska mix nasturtium toxic to cats?
• Is alaska mix nasturtium toxic to dogs?
• All 10 Tropaeolum varieties
• Getting alaska mix nasturtium to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Alaska Mix Nasturtium qualifies for 5 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Browse all 30 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Alaska Mix Nasturtium is also known as Nasturtium, Garden Nasturtium, and Alaska Nasturtium.

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