Question
Hello,
nasturtiums - i was told they liked full sun - but maybe living in a hot mediterranean country they just cant hack it?
i grew them from seed, think it was may i planted - & they seem not to be able to thrive in full sun - in pots, sun in summer hits my patio from early morning till mid afternoon where they were...
so, as they were having a hard time i placed them in shade of shed, ie, NO sun & they seem a lot better...
my mum told me they can take it dry & i get the impression that they like to struggle a bit, as they are surrounded by plants & are pushing up stems (to get to the light?)...
do u think i should leave them there or put them back in sun now heat of summer has gone???
they are about 15cms high now but spindly looking - what about re-potting? (i only have pots - no earth)
any advice welcome.
thanks,
emma

Answer
No, Nasturtiums are not as tough as they seem. They can take heat if they have enough water, and if it is only for a short time. Plants with large, thin, green leaves usually burn in hot sun. Yes, they like bright light, but it is the heat that damages them. If it has cooled down, then move them back in the sun.
Only repot, if they seem to need it. Use packaged potting soil that has good drainage. Don't use garden soil. Try getting them to climb on a fence, or trellis. They will get up in the sun better. If they are too spindly, try pruning them back a bit to restart them.
Don't use nitrogen fertilizer on them.
When ever I have grown them, I have planted them in the ground, not containers, and I had them on the east side of a building. They did very well in these areas where other plants probably wouldn't have.
Don't give up on them. You are doing the right thing by moving them around to find a good spot for them. But the problem may not just be in the location, it may also be in the soil.
I have seen this as the primary problem before with them.
The soil they were in just didn't work for them. Next year, you might try getting an inexpensive potting soil. One that doesn't have a lot of rich nutrients. Just a well drained simple soil. Then water well, then let the soil dry, and water well. Don't crowd them. Don't expose them to extremes of any kind.