[rogertb]

Hi chaps .. I have a new bigger allotment which the previous owner very kindly cleared so I have no idea what condition it was in or what was growing, I have had a delivery of manure which I've spread and intend to leave over the winter (any advice about this very welcome) ... but also there seem to be a lot of, what I think are Nasturtians, growing everywhere, even up through the floor of the greenhouse and through the 'muck' (which I thought would suppress weeds !) ... any recommendations as to how to get rid of them please ... I'm pulling as often as I can (the weeds) but they are winning at the moment ...

Many thanks Roger

[snowdrops]

Yes,they're nasturtiums, I wouldn't bother weeding them out,when the frosts come they will die. Seeds will germinate next year but are a good flower to encourage bees,not something to get rid of in my opinion.

[tosca100]

And the leaves are delicious, buttery and peppery. Use young ones in salad instead of watercress rather than chucking them away.

[8doubles]

Nasty-urtiums.........................AAAiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

I hate `em, stinky vermin attractors!

I will not have them in the garden and would definitely not put them in my mouth !

Easy to weed out luckily.

[compostqueen]

Vermin attractors. Really?   I love them and decorate my allotment paths with n. Empress of India.  Gives the caterpillars something to eat too. Anything to distract them from the cabbages 

[ptarmigan]

Love nasturtiums.  They attract pollinators and hover flies - distract caterpillars - look lovely - die off when the firsts frosts happen and are easy to pull out if they end up in the wrong place. And then rot down nicely on the compost heap. What's not to like?

(Not that keen on the taste...).

[JohnB47]

Agree with most here, except the view about them being vermin attractors - surely you must be confusing them with something else 8doubles. 

I often grade plants/weeds on how deep their roots go - nasturtiums are not only pretty above ground (OK, that's personal preference) but their roots are fairly compact and near the surface - dead easy to dig up if you want to. Contrast that with bindweed, couch grass, dandelions, dock etc, all of which have roots designed to make them difficult to dig up. Also, nasturtium seeds are pretty big and easily identified (they're like little brains) so are easy to dispose of if you want.

No problem, in my view.

[rogertb]

Thank you all for the excellent advice ... Roger

[ilan]

Hoe them out next year once they sprout a few are great but the can and do overtake everything and will seed everywhere , having said that as these have not gone to seed you may be ok

[devonbarmygardener]

I love nasturniums - but they do keep coming back for ever and ever and ever...

[Yana]

I've had them at the lottie for a few years and find they are ok as long as you don't let them go to seed. Having said that, the seeds are nice and like a caper ...... If you like that sort of thing.

[8doubles]

Agree with most here, except the view about them being vermin attractors - surely you must be confusing them with something else 8doubles. 

I often grade plants/weeds on how deep their roots go - nasturtiums are not only pretty above ground (OK, that's personal preference) but their roots are fairly compact and near the surface - dead easy to dig up if you want to. Contrast that with bindweed, couch grass, dandelions, dock etc, all of which have roots designed to make them difficult to dig up. Also, nasturtium seeds are pretty big and easily identified (they're like little brains) so are easy to dispose of if you want.

No problem, in my view.

They can attract massive amounts of blackfly and aphid but IMHO they are welcome to it !

[Yana]

Agree with most here, except the view about them being vermin attractors - surely you must be confusing them with something else 8doubles. 

I often grade plants/weeds on how deep their roots go - nasturtiums are not only pretty above ground (OK, that's personal preference) but their roots are fairly compact and near the surface - dead easy to dig up if you want to. Contrast that with bindweed, couch grass, dandelions, dock etc, all of which have roots designed to make them difficult to dig up. Also, nasturtium seeds are pretty big and easily identified (they're like little brains) so are easy to dispose of if you want.

No problem, in my view.

They can attract massive amounts of blackfly and aphid but IMHO they are welcome to it !

That means the blackfly and aphids are leaving something else alone? 

[pigguns]

I had a load come up at the base of my climbing beans early on and yes they were covered in blackfly, but then I noticed I had loads of mature and baby ladybirds on them (I think they bred under them!) and they cleared up all the blackfly on the beans/courg and the nastur'ms.