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Water cress plant


how to grow watercress at home

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There are a number of methods for how to grow watercress and it is not a hard crop to master. So rather than buying it weekly from the supermarket, nurture your own home harvest of these fresh, peppery leaves that make a great addition to salads, sandwiches and soups.

Featuring in dishes since ancient Greek and Roman times, watercress has long been known for its medicinal qualities, too. High in vitamins A and C, as well as iron, calcium, and folic acid, it is also believed to have high levels of antioxidants, so is definitely a salad leaf worth growing.

See. Kitchen garden ideas - easy ways to get started

Can you grow watercress at home?

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Yes you can grow watercress at home – and there are a number of ways to cultivate it.

Although watercress thrives when grown in water, you don't need a water feature or pond in your garden to be able to grow it. In fact, you can grow watercress even if you don't have a garden, as a microgreen in a pot on a windowsill at any time of year – see more on how to grow microgreens in our dedicated guide.

Watercress 'is very easy to grow in a pond or in a pot. As its name suggests, it does need moisture to grow satisfactorily,' advises gardening expert and writer Alys Fowler in her new book Eat What You Grow .

'All cress types are very easy to grow, but watercress requires uniquely wet growing conditions. If its needs can be met, it’s very easy,' agree the experts at West Coast Seeds .

See: How to grow spinach - in pots, indoors or in raised beds

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How long does it take to grow watercress?

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Watercress does not take a long time to grow – in fact, you could be harvesting the first of the peppery leaves as early as four weeks from sowing, depending on when the seeds were sown.  

'Growing watercress from seed requires no special skills or equipment. Simply sow the seed directly into containers, in spring, or as soon as the average daily temperatures reach 8-15°C. Germination should occur within 14 days,' explain the experts at seed growers Thompson & Morgan .

If you sow watercress seeds regularly through spring and early summer you can enjoy a constant supply of fresh leaves.

See: Small vegetable garden ideas - from layout designs to the best crops to grow

Where does watercress grow best?

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Obviously the space available to you either outdoors or indoors will dictate to a certain extent how to grow watercress, but as long as you provide it with the right conditions, then it will grow well in a variety of places.

'Watercress can grow submerged in water – as it does in a stream – but will do just as well in damp soil,' explains Alys Fowler.

'It wants to be wet but it doesn’t want to be stagnant and, ideally, it wants free-draining, but constantly moist conditions,' she adds.

Growing watercress in containers can actually be easier, as if it is grown in water, the water needs to be kept fresh and bacteria-free, which can be tricky to achieve in a garden. 

How to grow watercress from seed

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Once it has warmed up to about 8-15°C outside – generally by spring – watercress seeds can be sown directly outdoors.

'Whatever pot you grow it in, watercress will do best if there is drainage and if it is endlessly being topped up with water. Although it is a perennial, it is often best to treat it as an annual to maintain its vigor,' advises Alys. 

See: How to grow basil, from seed, indoors and out

Can you grow watercress from cuttings?

You can grow watercress from cuttings.  

To do this:

How to grow watercress in a pond

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If you have a water feature in your garden, such as a pond, this is a great place to grow watercress. BUT NOTE: if you're planning to eat the watercress, then do not grow it in the pond as the water will not be fresh enough to make the watercress safely edible.

You can, however, also mimic the natural conditions of a pond or stream by growing watercress plants in a shallow container of water.

To grow watercress in water, fill a pot with compost and sow the watercress seed on the surface. Once the seeds have started to germinate, either submerge the pot in a pond, or in a container – such as an old metal tub – filled with water, so that the top of the pot is about 2 to 3 inches below the surface of the water. 

If placed in a pond the watercress should self-seed easily.

Growing watercress on a windowsill

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You can also grow watercress seed as a microgreen on a windowsill, and harvest the tiny peppery leaves once the stems are about 2 inches high.

'Watercress can be sown at any time of year providing that a brightly lit area is available,' say the experts at West Coast Seeds. 

Using this indoor growing method for watercress 'you'll get one, maybe two cuts per tray,' advises Alys.

See: How to grow mint – a beginner's guide

Harvesting watercress

Watercress leaves can be harvested from about 21 days after they emerge, and if you cut or prune the plant back to about 4 inches it will encourage thicker, lusher growth.

Harvest the watercress using scissors and it will then grow back at least once. If you keep sowing seeds every few weeks you will enjoy a continual harvest.

Once the plants start producing their small white flowers the leaves become bitter.

Once you have harvested the leaves, wash them and store in a refrigerator for a few days at most. 

Rachel is senior content editor, and writes and commissions gardening content for homesandgardens.com, Homes & Gardens magazine, and its sister titles Period Living Magazine and Country Homes & Interiors. She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on gardening, historic houses and arts and crafts, but started out her journalism career in BBC radio, where she enjoyed reporting on and writing programme scripts for all manner of stories. Rachel then moved into regional lifestyle magazines, where the topics she wrote about, and people she interviewed, were as varied and eclectic as they were on radio. Always harboring a passion for homes and gardens, she jumped at the opportunity to work on The English Home and The English Garden magazines for a number of years, before joining the Period Living team, then the wider Homes & Gardens team, specializing in gardens.

How To Grow Watercress - Gardening Channel

If you are looking for one super food to grow at home, look no further than to watercress. With more Vitamin A, VitaminB1, VitaminB3, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron, potassium, and calcium (whew!) than any other veggie out there, you will end up feeling like more than just a champion green thumb. Your whole body will benefit from the healthy boost.

This easy-to-grow green is world renowned for its pepped-up peppery flavor and for its patent nutrition. Watercress has been recognized for its superior health benefits throughout time. It is currently making a renaissance of sorts in home gardens everywhere.

Watercress (Nasturtium Officinale) is from the mustard family and is an aquatic plant. It grows naturally near slow flowing water. Since most of us are not fortunate enough to have a stream in our backyards, watercress can still be a simple addition to your yard. Watercress can even be grown in a container on your kitchen table.

How to Grow and Care for Watercress

The key for a successful watercress harvest is water. If you do happen to have a fresh, moving water source in your yard, you can grow watercress in the same manner it grows naturally in the wild. Find a source for a transplant of watercress. A bunch of watercress can be found at your local farmer’s market and even in the wild.

If you select watercress from a farmer’s market, look for shoots of roots at the bottom of the stems. Place your stems in water to stimulate root growth if you need to. Watercress takes root easily. When you see roots, your watercress is ready to plant. Or, if you uproot a transplant from the wild, be sure to rinse the entire plant carefully before introducing the plant to your garden.

The roots of the watercress are fragile, so handle your transplants with care. Plant your roots gently in the wet soil around your water source. Your watercress should grow easily and proliferate well there.

To plant your watercress in containers, select two containers to stack within each other. Make sure the first container has a drainage hole. The first container will need to fit into the second, larger container or tray. The second container will provide a source of fresh water at all times.

To prepare your first pot, fill it with a rich compost soil. Purchase a fresh bunch of watercress from your local farmer’s market or even from your local grocery store. Plug a few stems of watercress with root shoots into the soil and water it well. Place this pot into the second, larger container or tray that is filled with water. The water will soak into the soil through the drainage hole of the first pot and keep the soil moist for the watercress roots to grow. Provide clean, fresh water daily.

Your water garden will produce the most watercress if you allow it several hours of morning sun each day. Allow for afternoon shade. Your outside watercress will produce tender, tasty leaves for several months. Once the outdoor plant goes to flower, the flavor will become bitter tasting and your harvest season will be over.

To harvest your watercress, snip off the leaves, but don’t disturb the roots. Cut enough to eat fresh, because watercress will not store well. If you have to store it, place it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For a handy edible garden right in your kitchen, fill a glass bowl or fish tank with 2 inches of smooth rocks or pebbles. Fill the bowl with mineral water, and place a few stems of watercress among the rocks. The roots will reach down into the pebbles, and the greens will fill in over the surface of the water. Snip your greens, and enjoy!

Pests and Problems

Watercress attracts flea beetles and mustard beetles. To get rid of these pests, immerse your plant in water for an hour. The bugs will drown, and your plant won’t the mind getting dunked. You might also consider growing a few radish plants near your watercress. The radishes will attract the bugs away.

Want To learn more on the nutritional facts and health benefits of watercress?

Visit:
http://watercress.com/
For one blogger’s experience with growing watercress, see: Watercress in the Garden

Creative Commons Flickr photo courtesy of Wendell Smith

 

Watercress. Benefits and taste of spring.


Watercress, or garden watercress (Lepidium sativum L.), is an annual herbaceous plant of the Brassicaceae family. Recipes with watercress are becoming more and more popular, as the benefits of this plant are very tangible, it is quite easy to grow even at home, and the seeds are available to everyone. In particular, the Dukat variety from our company. Consider the same main questions that we receive about this salad.

According to some scientists, the birthplace of watercress is Ethiopia, according to others, Southwest Asia (Iran, Tibet, the Arabian Peninsula). The watercress culture has spread throughout Europe since Roman times. Currently, watercress is widely grown in the UK, France, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, the USA, and India. In Russia, obviously, it is most profitable to grow watercress from the seeds of Russian selection. The company "Gavrish" has developed a series of leaf lettuce and lettuce microgreens, which are superior in quality to foreign analogues. Recently, we also offer farmers to switch to more profitable seeds produced in Russia with the help of our Seed Converter ; a simple press of a button with a vegetable crop will help you instantly select a replacement for foreign seeds.

Watercress with a short day forms a rosette of basal petiole leaves and does not form flower stalks for a longer time, and with a long day it quickly shoots.

What soil to plant Watercress in. Seed planting technology.

Watercress is grown both in open and protected ground

The best predecessors of watercress are tomato, cucumber, onion, potatoes. Undesirable plants of the Cabbage family

The plant prefers full sun but tolerates some shade.
The soil should be loose, well-drained, with plenty of humus. Soil pH is preferably neutral (6.0-7.0), but watercress grows normally on slightly acidic soils. The culture succeeds on all types of soil, it does not require a large amount of mineral fertilizers. Before sowing, 46-90 g / m2 of universal mineral fertilizer is applied to the soil, planting it to the depth of the arable layer (15-20 cm).

Watercress requires constant moisture in the soil with trace elements, because during drought the leaves become tasteless and rough, and the yield drops sharply. In addition to reducing yields, in hot weather, watercress almost immediately goes into stalking.

Studies have shown that watercress seeds germinate best at 25°C and do not have a dormant period at this temperature.
Germination range is 15 to 35°C.
Watercress is usually sown in rows of 2-3 rows, with a row spacing of 20 cm. In spring, they are sown as soon as the soil is ready. Seeding depth 1-1.2 cm, distance between seeds in a row 2.5 cm. Distance between plants in a row 5-10 cm.
According to foreign sources, it can be sown with row spacings of 8-10 and 15 cm, as well as with wide row spacings of 45-60 cm. Seeding density

Depending on weather conditions, the seeds germinate 5-15 days after sowing. The seedlings are thinned out for the first time when they reach a height of 1.2 cm, leaving 5 cm between them. The thinned seedlings are suitable for human consumption. Adult plants are pulled through, leaving 20-25 cm between them.

Watercress becomes pungent and inedible in hot weather

Seeds can be sown in prepared furrows and mulched with peat or soil The soil must be kept constantly moist. After 5-15 days, seedlings
appear (thin seedlings 1.2 cm high at a distance of 5 cm from each other).

Watercress can also be grown indoors 2 weeks before the last frost
, after which the seedlings can be planted outdoors.
For a continuous supply of fresh herbs, re-sowing is carried out at intervals of every 10-14 days, starting in spring.

Experienced farmers sow watercress at one week intervals

Repeat until mid-summer, then stop as watercress becomes pungent and inedible in hot weather.
Subsequent sowings are repeated in early autumn.

30-50 seeds are sown per 1 linear meter, 8-10 kg/ha in the field. There are 350 seeds in 1 g.

When to Harvest Watercress for the Best Taste

In the initial period of growth, the main problem in cress crops is weeds.

They can be controlled using organic mulching materials.
The highest green yields are obtained in cool weather.

Leaves can be harvested as soon as true leaves appear, as watercress is often grown to produce seedlings. Plants start harvesting when they reach 3-4 cm in height.
At the same time, the tips of the leaves are cut off or pinched off. Plants cut to 1.2 cm,
are growing fast. The most delicate taste of seedlings in the cotyledon stage.

Cut watercress can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week without compromising quality.

Harvest long before the plants are fully developed

May be harvested 2 weeks after germination, when the leaves are 5-6 cm long, or 8-13 cm according to other sources, plant height up to 13 cm.
First remove the old leaves and leave the young ones for the plant to grow further. For an average family, a row of 3-4.5 m is usually enough.

Watercress can even be grown on a windowsill

Watercress grows well in pots and containers, so it is suitable for growing on a windowsill. The best harvest will be on the sunny side. To grow plants, containers are filled with well-drained soil, and the seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm. This way you can get microgreens from watercress (as in the photo above), as well as a full-fledged leaf, depending on what we are going to cook from it.

In addition to soil, watercress is grown on perlite, vermiculite, mineral wool, coconut peat. The most suitable substrate for watercress is 25% biohumus, peat, gravel and light gravel. Watercress is also grown hydroponically and grows well in a slightly alkaline solution.

In greenhouses this crop will grow satisfactorily under standard fluorescent lighting and very well under high power fluorescent, compact fluorescent, and
high intensity (metal halide or high pressure sodium lamps).

Standard fluorescent lamps should be kept
5-10 cm from plant tops, high-efficiency and compact fluorescent lamps 30 cm from plants, and LED lights 60-120 cm from plant tops depending on power.
If a fan is available, the seedlings can be blown for 2 hours a day to keep them firm, not stretched, and grow in close to natural conditions.

Benefits of watercress. Vitamins and trace elements of watercress. Application in cooking and medicine.

Cross-salt leaves have the following composition:

trace elements:

Watercress is a rich source of iron, folic acid, calcium, vitamins C, E and A. 50 g of watercress contains 35 mg of vitamin C.

A serving of raw watercress contains 32 calories 2.6 mg protein, 4.4 mg sugar, 0.7 mg fat, 1.1 mg fiber, plus carotenoids, mustard oil, and antioxidants.

Watercress is widely used in medicine. Extracts of leaves and seeds have an anti-inflammatory effect, reduce rheumatic pains.

In Saudi Arabia and Arab countries, leaf and seed extract is used to promote the healing of bone fractures. The seeds are used as a laxative for constipation.

Watercress is used as a remedy for hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, cancer and other diseases. it is also effective in diarrhea, dysentery and the treatment of the bronchial system.

Watercress leaves, roots and seeds are used in cooking. Watercress is good for salads, sandwiches, boiled potato dishes, soups.

Watercress is a real find for those who follow the figure, or just lead a healthy and active lifestyle

Watercress can be used not only as an integral part of salads, but can also be used as a garnish instead of parsley.

Many people know that our favorite fruit and vegetable juices are rich in vitamins and minerals. However, they are both poor in protein and fat. If you add watercress seed extract or powder to your juice, then a glass of juice will become a truly complete source of healthy elements. Especially for those who experience additional physical activity, or suffer from such an unpleasant ailment as iron deficiency in the body. Just watercress will help fill it up.

Lettuce extract acts as a thickening agent, and when combined with juice and other beverages, it provides healthy shakes with antioxidant properties.


Aleksey Baranov, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Anatoly Tsiunel, Junior Researcher, Gavrish Company

Photo: Elena Al-Shimari

Watercress - description, benefits and harms, calorie content, cooking methods.

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