Vegetable patch for beginners

Healthy, healthier - watercress

The tasty watercress variety with lots of nutrients
Watercress is not only perfect for planting in damp, shady beds, your water area at the herb snail or by the pond and near streams. The beautiful flower is also edible and full of valuable nutrients that strengthen our immune system, including vitamins A, C and E as well as calcium and potassium. In addition, the colourful flowers are an absolute eye-catcher on any summer salad that you can surprise your guests with.

Location

Watercress naturally thrives in small rivers and streams that are shaded or semi-shaded and have clear water. This can be transferred 1:1 to cultivation in the garden. Watercress only really thrives if it is grown directly at the end of a herb snail with a water basin, at a clean pond, stream or small fountain with a shallow basin, which is ideally in the shade or partial shade.

Sowing

Watercress should always be sown in advance, because if the seeds are sown directly, there is a risk that the flow of water will take all the seeds with it and no plant will emerge in the end. However, as the seeds already require a lot more water, they need to be well cared for. To provide the seeds with a good environment, a drainage layer of gravel should be placed in the planter and the substrate on top should consist of a mixture of peat-free soil and sand. The planter should now be placed in a larger container and filled with fresh, clear water, which should be changed every 2 days. At temperatures of around 20°C, the seeds will start to germinate after just one week. Once the small plants have reached a height of around 8-10 cm, they can be planted outdoors in a suitable place.

Care

If the watercress is in a comfortable spot outdoors, it hardly needs any care, as the flowing water provides sufficient nutrients to help the plant grow. If you see several dried shoots on the plant, you can cut them off. It is important not to cut off any of the roots, as the plant does not like this. If the plant stops growing or even dies, it clearly shows the gardener that there is little or no oxygen left in the water, as only oxygen-rich water will allow watercress to thrive.
As watercress is hardy, it should be ensured that the plant is also supplied with sufficient oxygen-rich water in winter or, in the best case, that the stream continues to run.

Protection against pests and diseases

The pungency of the plant and the mustard oils it contains make it virtually resistant to all diseases and pests. If a snail does invade, it quickly loses its appetite. Insect larvae, such as dragonfly larvae, can also be found in watercress. If you want to harvest and find larvae, you should move them to another similar place, as the larvae will not damage the plant.

Harvest

Watercress leaves can be harvested from a plant size of around 10 cm. However, if you want to be sure that the plant has already settled in, you should wait at least 1-2 weeks after planting it in the water before harvesting. When the watercress flowers, the leaves lose their flavour, so the best time to harvest is always before flowering. But of course the colourful flowers can also be harvested to add a highlight to a delicious summer salad.