Watercress (Nasturtium officinale): cultivation, harvest and use

How to make watercress?

Take a deep enough watercress container (50 cm) and cover the bottom with 15 cm of rich soil. Sow the cress without burying it, taking care to keep it moist. When the seedlings reach 5 cm, push the bottom of the tray so that the base of the stems is submerged.

Where does wild watercress grow?

Where to find watercress It grows in rich soils on plains and mountains. It also likes exposures that alternate between sun and shade.

What type of culture in aquaponics?

What vegetables can be grown in aquaponics? All types of vegetables can be grown in aquaponics, except for root vegetables such as potatoes, which rot in water. However, celery is well suited to this type of culture. Salads work well with aquaponics, as do tomatoes, zucchini and basil.

What is the Cressonnette?

Lepidium sativum, also known as watercress, grasshopper or Alenese cress, is an annual plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family. ... It is a cultivated plant whose leaves are used to season salads or to make mesclun. Watercress is sometimes also eaten as sprouted seeds.

Where can I find watercress?

Cress is grown in the open air, on the banks of rivers or in beds. In New Aquitaine, it is mainly produced in the Lot-et-Garonne, and more particularly in the Agenais, which is the largest cress field in Europe.

What is the season for watercress?

Its high season is in December. There are two main varieties in France: the Alenois cress, which is eaten as young shoots.

Where does watercress grow?

Cress is a plant that likes humid environments: it is thus particularly well adapted to the culture in a pond or on the banks of a watercourse. However, it can be grown in the garden, in the open air, provided that the soil is rich and moist.

When to harvest watercress?

Harvesting Cress Harvesting takes place about 6 weeks after transplanting or planting. The leaves and stems are simply cut off if necessary.

When does wild cress grow?

It appears in spring as soon as the water temperature rises above ten degrees, in April or May. From then on, you can also sow on the banks of the watercourses. After two months, the cress can be harvested by removing a few stems, but not by pulling up the plants.

What is the name of the watercress culture?

The Barberot family has been growing watercress for five generations.

How to grow watercress?

Cress should be sown from March to July in moist, water-saturated soil, burying the seeds less than 1 cm deep. When the seedlings have 4 or 5 leaves, transplant them. To skip the sowing step, you can find ready-to-plant seedlings in cups.

How to grow watercress in the garden?

Garden cress is sown in spring and summer in rows in the soil. The seeds should be covered with a 5 cm layer of fine soil, the soil should be kept cool and then, after emergence, thinned out leaving one plant every 10-15 cm. You can also sow in a container or window box.

How to grow watercress in water?

Watercress can also be grown from plants purchased in supermarkets or local markets. Simply soak the base of the stem in water for a few days to produce roots, then plant them in the ground, just as you would with seeds.

When and how to plant watercress?

Watercress is sown in the spring. Transplant the seedlings when they germinate and then in the ground when they have five leaves. It is easy to grow and will thrive in any garden soil.

Watercress is a plant much appreciated for its nutritional virtues. It can be eaten raw in salads, or used to make soups, sauces and juices. Watercress is also a key ingredient in English cuisine, where it is often combined with smoked salmon in the famous "watercress" sandwiches. Finally, certain varieties such as Cressonnette can be used to flavor vinaigrettes or marinades.