Native to Europe, garden cress is a biennial, sometimes vigorous, cold hardy plant. Its leaves eaten raw or cooked have a strong spicy taste. Discover our tips and tricks for growing garden cress.
What you need to know:
Botanical name: Barbarea verna
Common Name: Garden Watercress, Perennial Ground Watercress, Vine Watercress, Garden Watercress, Rondotte, Thick Grass, Notre-Dame Grass, Carpenter’s Grass
Family: Brassicaceae
Origin: Europe
Height and spread: This biennial plant can reach 20 to 60 cm in height.
Leaves: Cut leaves appear in rosettes.
Exposure: All exposures are suitable for this, but in summer, garden cress appreciates a position in partial shade.
Soil: Any good garden soil is suitable.
resistance : It resists cold well.
Where To Plant Garden Cardamom?
This little salad appreciates rich soil: during autumn or winter before sowing, bring to the surface a good layer of compost and a few handfuls of phosphate-rich fertiliser.
Garden Cardamom Seed
Stored in good conditions, cardamom seeds are valid for 3 years: beyond that, they lose their germination capacity.
Sow these seeds directly into the ground in rows 30cm apart from early March to late August.
Then cover them with a thin layer of soil or sifted seed compost. Finally, tap with the back of the rake before watering gently.
After emergence, when the seedlings have developed 4 to 5 leaves, thin your seedling so that you only have one every 15 to 20 cm. Immediately transplant the excess plants elsewhere. You can combine them with parsley, radishes or plant them between carrots or potatoes.
Growing Watercress In Containers
It is possible to grow watercress at home in a large container, planter or box.
Use a mix of good garden soil and potting soil. Keep this growing medium moist by regular watering, but not overwatering.
Care of Watercress
Watering: To prevent the leaves from becoming hard, keep the soil always moist by regular watering if the weather is dry. In winter, watering is useless: the rains are generally enough.
Cold protection: Garden watercress resists cold well enough to remain in the ground all winter without needing special protection. In order not to damage the plants, do not hesitate, however, in very cold weather, to cover them with dry leaves. You will remove them once the sweetness returns.
Hoe and weed stop the crop regularly to avoid competition from unwanted weeds and to break up the earth crusts around your watercress.
Fertilizer: During the growing season, once a month spread a small handful of Or Brun seaweed manure around the rosettes.
Diseases: Garden cress has no pests and rarely gets sick.
Avoid the bolt: Once the yellow flower stalks of your watercress appear, cut them short to prolong the harvest.
When to Harvest Garden Cardamom?
The harvest season starts 2-3 months after sowing.
Harvest the watercress leaves measuring about 10cm as you need them.
Using a knife or scissors, do not pick the entire rosette, but only the largest leaves. You will be able to take advantage of this until the seeds rise.
What Is Eaten In Cardamom?
We eat the cardamom leaves:
- Floods on its own or mixed with other salads, lettuce, chicory.
- Cooked like spinach, in a gratin or in soups.
The flavor of garden cress is stronger and spicier than that of other types of cress, especially watercress or watercress.
Garden Cress: Benefits
Watercress leaves are rich in vitamins, provided they are used immediately after harvesting. Antiscorbutic, they also have antianemic, appetizing, respiratory and diuretic properties.
Rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, PP and many other minerals, such as calcium, iodine, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and sulphur, garden cardamom leaves revitalize minerals.