Garden Tips & Resources

After you find out how beneficial growing watercress is, you’ll definitely be happy to consume all your veggies just like Mom always said.

Watercress (or Nasturtium officinale) isa member of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). It is an aquatic type plant with a peppery taste.

You may not have 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. It is called the original ‘superfood’ because of all the amazing health benefits it provides.

Going back to the time of At around 400 BC, Hippocrates, (the father of medicine), was growing watercress to help treat his subjects. Soldiers from Greece were forced to consume watercress immediately before battle to increase their vigor. Roman emperors claimed it helped.

Growing Watercress…

To begin growing watercress from seeds, sow the seeds inside the house around two weeks before the last frost arrives. place a piece of kitchen towel into a small bowl , then moisten it. Place the seeds on the moist towel and add about a quarter inch of filtered water.

If the seeds remain damp and warm, they should hopefully start to sprout  after about 7 – 10 days. After 3 weeks of germination, the plants should be ready to be transplanted  ~outside~outdoors}.

Watercress can be planted either in pots, or in the earth, but you should make sure that the soil is continuously saturated. Use a rich mix of moist soil, limestone, and organic compost for growing watercress.

As its name implies, it thrives in water.  This perennial plant grows naturally along streams and creek beds. In nature, 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 so you can grow watercress.

Watercress is a fast growing plant, and is easy to grow indoors in pots which are placed into a tray of shallow water. Make sure to keep the plants damp constantly when growing watercress. The trick is damp not soaked, because too much water can kill it. Watercress enjoys full sun, but grows faster not reach by direct sunlight. An place in partial shade is best when growing watercress.

Harvest leaves and young stems before the flowers bloom. When @growing watercress@, leaves should be harvested, just before use. Watercress can be kept in the fridge for seven days.

Growing Watercress health benefits…

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. Within this superfood are very strong antioxidants, which can aid your body’s immune system, and helps prevent disease of the heart

The major amount of lutein discovered in this plant are another benefit of growing watercress. Lutein is well known to be helpful in stopping the development of artery disease and heart failure.

This unique vegetable is also loaded with vitamins, and low in calories, with only four calories per cup. When you eat watercress, the peppery heat of the leaves acts as a stimulant for your digestion

Serving suggestions for watercress—

How about throwing in watercress to your next smoothie, to give it that extra kick? You can serve watercress in salads, or sandwiches. Cut watercress into small pieces and mix it with cream cheese and chives. Watercress adds flavor to any type of salad.

Soup flavor can be enhanced with the addition of watercress – chopped small and simmered with veg or chicken stock. Add watercress to omelets or stir-fry.

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

To sum up, it is definitely recommended to start growing watercress. Go have a try.

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