Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Malturn on January 05, 2012, 18:23

Title: Water cress
Post by: Malturn on January 05, 2012, 18:23

Hi
Has anyone tried growing watercress in  a tub if so how and in what sort of compost.

Thanks
Malcolm

Title: Re: Water cress
Post by: sunshineband on January 05, 2012, 18:27

My Dad grew watercress in a large plastic pot filled with JI no 2, mixed with garden compost.

It stood in a saucer of water, and seemed to do just as well as the stuff he grew in the pond  margins (same soil mix)

Title: Re: Water cress
Post by: Kleftiwallah on January 05, 2012, 18:27

Watercress needs constantly flowing water and grows best on gravel.      Cheers,    Tony.

Title: Re: Water cress
Post by: sunshineband on January 05, 2012, 18:29

Quote from: Kleftiwallah on January 05, 2012, 18:27

Watercress needs constantly flowing water and grows best on gravel.      Cheers,    Tony.

You'd think so, but Dad's was just fine, and was grown from rooted cuttings out of a  bunch from the supermarket

Title: Re: Water cress
Post by: Fisherman on January 05, 2012, 19:04

Its actually quite easy to grow from seed. Several seed suppliers sell water cress seeds including Marshalls and Thompson & Morgan. The seed is very fine and just needs to be sown in a small tray or pot using multi purpose compost. Its best kept at a reasonably warm temperature in good light after which it will germinate in about 2 weeks. Once its about an 1" - 2" high transplant in small clumps into a large pot filled with a mix of compost and sharp sand then place in a saucer or trough. It needs to kept in damp to wet conditions (water from the bottom) and will be ready in about 6 weeks from transplanting. OK to grow under glass from March onwards and then outside when it warms up. It can be cropped for about 3 weeks then it starts to deteriorate so its best sown in succession every 3 weeks or so.

Title: Re: Water cress
Post by: savbo on January 05, 2012, 19:30

Quote from: Kleftiwallah on January 05, 2012, 18:27

Watercress needs constantly flowing water and grows best on gravel.      Cheers,    Tony.

i think it's safest from flowing water on gravel cos there's less chance then of picking up liver fluke than from a pond....

I'm just getting a sprig from a bag of salad to root in a cup of water (loads already) then I'll pot it and keep wet. Actuallt, there's a recent thread about this very thing

sav

Title: Re: Water cress
Post by: azubah on January 05, 2012, 19:56

I grew watercress last year in a seed tray in the greenhouse, and when it went to seed tipped it out in the garden. It is still growing now and has yellow flowers on it.
It is really easy to grow and does not need running water or molly coddling at all.