[3759allen]

i'm toying with the idea of growing watercress this season, don't know anything about these plants tho, wondered if anyone has grown it before?

i have a small pond thats not got fish in it, just using it for the frogs and toads. i was thinking of using half the pond to grow the water cress. does this sound like a reasonable idea?

thanks

[JayG]

I believe it can be grown in still water but there is always a possibility of it being contaminated with pathogens, even in a pond with no fish.

I grew it last year in a planter filled with old compost enriched with dried chicken poo to provide nitrogen - the picture shows what grew from about 5 cuttings from supermarket water cress which I first rooted in a jar of water.
The planter was originally outside in a shady spot, and was moved into the greenhouse when it got colder, although even there it didn't survive the really low temperatures.

It worked really well, and was much easier than some websites would have you believe - obviously the compost needs to be kept quite damp but you don't need to stand it in bowls of water (when I did that the whole lot went stagnant and smelly despite frequent water changes.)

[tosca100]

Yum, that looks lovely, would be nice in a nice freash crusty roll.....

Looking forward to home grown stuff, might give that a go.

[sunshineband]

My Dad grew watercress like that for years in a leaky old tin bath. he got cuttings to root in jam jars of water as well. I loved that bit 

Never realised it was supposed to be more challenging than this to grow 

[JayG]

Never realised it was supposed to be more challenging than this to grow 

It isn't, but only after you realise that having the whole lot sitting in a bowl of water doesn't work (or didn't for me anyway.) 

[sunshineband]

Never realised it was supposed to be more challenging than this to grow 

It isn't, but only after you realise that having the whole lot sitting in a bowl of water doesn't work (or didn't for me anyway.) 

 

[surbie100]

And now I see I need more seeds.....

[realfood]

It is so easy. I have it seeding all over my allotment. I popped a cloche over some and I have been eating it all winter.

[Trillium]

A friend decided to add a bit to his trickling stream that he built. The small little clumps he started with soon mushroomed into huge expanses that almost blocked the water within 3 months, so no, watercress doesn't just like still water   

The wetter the better.

[RichardA]

I have used teh method described by JayG for years in my greenhouse and indoors - keep several sucessions going for continuity of young leaves and also so if water teh pot stands gets a bit green you can dump it and start again.
R

[superpete]

I love my marmite sandwiches with watercress - but we've nowhere to grow it  - I keep looking at the American Land Cress in Moles Seed catalogue, for growing on the allotment... can someone tell me - is it pretty much the same but easier to grow?

[tosca100]

I love my marmite sandwiches with watercress - but we've nowhere to grow it  - I keep looking at the American Land Cress in Moles Seed catalogue, for growing on the allotment... can someone tell me - is it pretty much the same but easier to grow?

Mmmmmmmmm marmite and watercress sarnies, fresh crusty white bread and firm butter. Yum.

On a more healthy note, I have grown land cress for a few years and it makes an acceptable substitute, you just keep picking individual leaves and it will keep going for months. Easy to grow.

[Muls]

Try land cress ? Not quite as yummy but still lovely. 

[Muls]

LOL, sorry , missed previous comment 

[Ema]

I can remember having 2 rows of land cress on my parents plot they were prolific and just as peppery.

I ws thinking of growing some as ground cover around the runners this year