Sow cress outdoors
Cress can be sown almost anywhere in your own garden. The plant thrives particularly well in a favorable location in a sunny location. But cress also grows in a shady location. It then just takes a little longer for the herb to be ready for harvest.
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You can also easily plant cress as a cover crop or keep it in mixed culture with other plants. The only thing that doesn't go well with rocket salad is cress.
Cress does not make any special demands on the soil. It also thrives on poor and depleted soils. You just have to ensure that the seeds do not dry out and that the plants remain consistently moist later on.
Prepare the soil for sowing
If you have space for your own cress bed in the garden, loosen the soil and create rows at a distance of 15 centimeters.
When sowing watercress, you should plant the seeds very thinly, as the plants need a little more space than garden cress. Since the seed is very fine, mix it with some fine sand if necessary.
You can also spread the cress seeds widely. In this way you will get a flower bed that is covered with a thick green carpet.
The best time to sow cress
You can sow cress outdoors from mid-May. The plants are sensitive to frost and need a soil temperature of at least 15 degrees for them to germinate.
You sow subsequent crops well into autumn. Since the cress only has a very short growing season, cress sown in early autumn will still be ready for harvest.
- Sow outdoors from mid-May to September
- Keep the soil evenly moist
- Harvest after three to four weeks until flowering
Cress is a light germ
Cress is not covered with soil after sowing. It is one of the light germs and needs direct light to break down the sprout inhibition of the seed.
You do not need to protect the seeds from birds, as the cress ingredients do not taste good.
Heavy rains, however, can become a problem because they wash away the seeds. Therefore, press the seeds a little and spray them with water from the spray bottle after sowing.
Sow in the cress bed on the windowsill
- Sowing possible all year round
- Sow on soil, cotton or kitchen paper
- Keep well moist
- Avoid waterlogging
If you don't have a garden, planting cress is no problem. The undemanding herb also thrives wonderfully on the windowsill.
You can use everything the household has to offer as planter bowls, from soup plates to water glasses and egg cartons. The cress also does very well in clay pots.
Cress can be sown on almost any substrate. It germinates just as well in normal garden soil as it does on a folded piece of kitchen paper, a cotton ball or a speed handkerchief.
How to properly sow cress
Thoroughly clean the intended plant pots so that no mold spores or bacteria adhere to them. If you sow the cress in soil, you should put it in the hot oven for a few minutes to kill any germs.
Fill the planters with soil, crepe or cotton wool and let the material soak up with water. Pour off excess water.
Sprinkle the cress as evenly as possible on the plant substrate and press it lightly. Keep the seeds evenly moist until they germinate, but make sure that no waterlogging occurs as the cress will then go moldy. Use a spray bottle to moisten, as too hard a jet of water will wash away the small seeds.
Keep the seeds moist
During the germination period, the seed must be kept as consistently moist as possible. Pour carefully and allow excess water to drain off.
Place the cress beds as light and warm as possible. Avoid excessive exposure to the sun behind the glass, as the seeds can then dry out and burn the cotyledons.
The first roots develop on the first and second day. Cress sprouts are ready to harvest after four days.
Sow cress on the windowsill all year round
You can always sow new cress on the windowsill all year round. Just ensure there is enough light so that the plants grow vigorously and do not shoot too high.
Tips & Tricks
In order to always be able to harvest fresh cress from your own garden or from the window sill, sow it again at regular intervals. You can use the old bed as well as a new location outdoors.
