by Chris Winslow 

  

Watercress is a fast-growing surface aquatic plant native to Europe. It

has a tangy flavor like radish or mustard and is absolutely wonderful in

salads.

 

It is also one of my wife Diane’s favorite vegetables.  However this plant –

Nasturtium officinale – does have a reputation for being difficult to grow,

so we decided to conduct some experiments at the nursery. 

 

We bought some seeds and got to work. We had heard that germination

was the   difficult part, with sometimes only one in 3,000 seeds being

successful.  However we had no problem here. They easily germinated

in a seedling potting mix, and we transplanted them into 4” pots.

 

As our experiment grew, so did the watercress.

 

We discovered that this little water plant was as happy in water as in a

pot that’s kept moist and well drained. We decided to place a 4” pot

of watercress in the gravel streambed of our disappearing waterfall

feature at the nursery. What disappeared however was the streambed!

 

The watercress has grown so much that it completely hides it. Clearly

watercress loves running water. An added surprise is the plant’s

tolerance of  heat. It has managed to thrive in our hottest summer ever.

Even in 105-degree weather, the watercress continues to flourish and

expand.

 

Commercially, watercress is grown in shallow streambeds. For a

gardener  interested in growing watercress in water, you can plant it in

a water-holding container filled with gravel. The water will need to be

poured out and refilled every two or three days.

 

This little water “weed” is loaded with vitamin A and C, iron, calcium,

and folic acid. It is also high in iodine and is known to have cancer

fighting ingredients too. Growing watercress is fun, healthy, tasty, and

nutritious. Come by the nursery and try some!

                      Happy gardening everyone.