Organic Cress Watercress

Cress: Watercress 
Latin name Nasturtium officinale
Approx. 3000 seeds per g

Cress might have been one of the first plants you ever grew. Did you ever draw a face on an empty egg shell, fill with cotton wool and grow cress hair? It is so quick to harvest at the seedling stage that it is often recommended for children to grow. It can be grown on kitchen paper or punnets on a window sill all year round. Sprouting seed has become very popular over recent times and cress has experienced a bit of a revival as a result. It is a good source of vitamins K C A and B2, 6 and 9.

Watercress is an increasingly popular salad vegetable that needs moist conditions (running water is not essential). Strong flavoured and vigorous. Can be successfully grown in containers.

How to grow:
Cress can be grown in the garden and harvested as a bigger plant. Broadcast the seed into well prepared ground and rake in gently. Thin the plants as necessary as they grow. Indoor sowings for seedling harvesting can be done with compost in punnets or without on kitchen paper. Fill punnets with good quality seed compost, sprinkle over some cress seed and water. Keep moist and grow in good light. Harvest when the first true frilly leaves appear and the seedlings are 5 – 10 cm tall. Cut with scissors to keep the cress clean. Cress can also be grown to this stage by lining a shallow container with kitchen paper and water it gently. Sprinkle over the cress seeds and cover with a sheet of damp kitchen paper until the seeds germinate then remove the covering layer of paper and keep watered until ready to harvest. Sow March to July or September.

Pests and diseases:
Cress is not prone to any pests or diseases.

How to cook:
The leaves are very decorative and full of a light clean flavour. Add to salads and use as a garnish.
An essential in the classic egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich.