Watercress is a pleasure to have in your backyard specifically if you have a stream or a garden pond to grow it. But if you do not, you can still cultivate this peppery plant in pots, big containers or perhaps an old bathtub set in trays of water or wet garden soils.
It might be better to grow your own watercress instead of buying it from unknown sources. This aquatic herb very easily gets polluted by contaminated water. If you grow your own, you can be certain of the quality of the watercress you're harvesting.
Watercress may be easily grown from seeds. But growing it from stem pieces is also easy. They root better as well, when they are planted in very wet soil.
Preferably, a 20 centimeter layer of well rotted compost have to be in the bottom of the bed, and an additional 10 centimeters of rich soil on top of it. The top layer of the bed has to be a layer of fine pea gravel which is 5 centimeters thick.
To cultivate watercress, plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep directly in wet yard soil. This has to be finished three weeks ahead of the common date of last frost. If you think that the seeds are going to be washed away from the soil bed by high water, mulch softly.
You can even grow seeds put into wet paper towels set in bowls. In good conditions, consistent dampness along with a temperature of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the seedlings should germinate in ten days or more.
For anybody who is starting watercress from cuttings, it must be around ten centimeters in length. The lower part of the cutting have to be stripped of foliage then rooted about seven centimeters apart.
They need to be protected from the sun, not until their roots are well established. As soon as they begin to mature, you can add more water to the container allowing only the tip of the plant to show above the water. Make certain to replace the water a minimum of once per week as watercress do not grow in stagnant water.
The author is a nutritionist and is currently working for a non-profit health care corporation. For more information about the topic, visit the following link: Watercress Recipes
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