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Tips for Growing Watercress

After you discover how beneficial growing watercress is, you’ll be more than happy to consume all vegetables just like Mom always said.

Watercress (or Nasturtium officinale), a part of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). It is an aquatic type vegetable with a zesty pepper flavor.

There’s a chance you haven’t heard much regarding growing watercress, but unknown to most, it has been proven to be possibly one of the oldest leaf vegetables known to human beings. Known as the original “superfood” owing to all the amazing health benefits watercress can provide you.

Going back to the time of At around 400 BC, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was growing watercress in order to aid his patients. Soldiers from Greece had to consume watercress immediately before battle in order to increase vigor. (Not by their Mothers.!) Emperors of Rome claimed it aided) them to make {courageous decisions.

Growing Watercress…

At the time of growing watercress from seeds, the best way of doing things is tosow the seeds indoors around 14 days just before the last frost arrives. Lay a piece of kitchen towel into a small container and moisten it. Place the seeds on the towel and pour in about a quarter inch of filtered water.

Make sure to keep the seeds warm and damp, and they should hopefully germinate  after about 7 to 10 days. Three weeks after germination, the watercress should be ready to be transplanted  ~outside~outdoors}.

You can plant the watercress in pots or in the ground, as long as the soil is continuously saturated. It’s good to use a rich mixture of limestone, organic compost and damp soil for growing watercress.

As its name implies, it thrives in water.  This perennial plant is found wild along small creeks and streams. Naturally, the plant is partially submerged in shallow water, the base of the plant in the water, and the top half above the water. Not to worry, you don’t have to live near a lake or pond just to grow watercress.

Watercress is a fast growing plant, and can easily be grown indoors in pots that are placed in a container of shallow water. Keep the cress moist constantly while growing watercress. The ideal technique is keeping the plants damp not saturated, because too much water can kill them. Watercress enjoys full sun, but grows faster not reach by direct sunlight. The ideal place for growing watercress is in partialshade.

As watercress can generally only be kept in refrigeration for one week, leaves and stems should only be cut shortly before use. When growing watercress, harvest leaves and young stems before flowers begin to bloom.

Health benefits of growing watercress—

Watercress is a vegetable with high levels of natural disease fighting properties. It is packed with nutrients called phytochemicals, a group of cancer fighting compounds. Inside this superfood is very strong antioxidants, which can aid the immune system, and helps prevent disease of the heart

Because of the major amounts of lutein found in watercress, this becomes an additional benefit of growing watercress. Lutein is well known to be helpful in stopping heart disease.

This unique vegetable is also filled with vitamins, while being low in calories, with only four calories per cup. When watercress is eaten, the peppery heat of the leaves acts as a stimulant for your digestion and taste buds

Serving suggestions for watercress…

How about throwing in watercress to your next smoothie, to give it that extra kick? Watercress can also be served in sandwiches (think egg & cress). Chop watercress into small pieces and mix it with cream cheese and chives. Taste the distinctive flavor by adding to your salad.

The flavor of soup can be enhanced with the addition of watercress – cut finely and simmered with veg or chicken stock. Try adding watercress to your favourite stir fry or omelet.

As you know by now, watercress isn’t just a piece of greenery decorating your plate at fancy restaurants (it’s actually one of the main ingredients used in V8 vegetable juice).

Now, go make your Mother proud by growing watercress.

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