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Repotting guide

When & how to repot Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Also called Indian cress, monk's cress, garden nasturtium.

About Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus · also called Indian cress, monk's cress · flowering

Nasturtiums are easy quick-growing annuals with circular leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers in red, orange, and yellow. Bush and trailing types available. Leaves, flowers, and seeds are edible with peppery flavour. Pet-safe and edible.

Garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) is a fast, trailing or climbing tender annual from the Andes of South America; both flowers and leaves are edible with a peppery, watercress-like taste.

Deliberately grow in poor, well-drained soil; rich or recently manured ground produces a mass of leaves and few flowers.

Mature size: Bush 30 cm; trailing 1-3 m

Sources: hort.extension.wisc.edu, rhs.org.uk, extension.umn.edu

How to tell nasturtium needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For nasturtium, watch for these signs:

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot nasturtium

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Nasturtiumis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Bushy or trailing annual.

What size pot to step nasturtium up to

Pot nasturtium on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot nasturtium

Pot nasturtium on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting nasturtium

  1. Pot on before it is root-bound. Check nasturtium regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
  2. Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
  3. Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
  4. Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh free-draining loam at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
  5. Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water nasturtium in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for nasturtium

Nasturtium wants free-draining loam. pH 6.1-7.5. Lean soil produces more flowers. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting nasturtium — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot nasturtium?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for nasturtium. Nasturtium is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into free-draining loam so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does nasturtium need?

Pot nasturtium on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check. Use our pot size calculator to size it from the plant's current pot and root spread.

When is the best time of year to repot nasturtium?

Pot nasturtium on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Can you put nasturtium straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing nasturtium should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise nasturtium after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting nasturtium. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.

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