🌿 Watercress

Watercress is a peppery, nutrient-rich salad leaf that can be grown at home in a tray of water, in a bucket, or in a pot standing in a saucer. It needs cool, flowing or frequently-changed water and a partly shaded position.

It is a perennial, but plants are best renewed from cuttings each year. A pot stood in a bowl of fresh water on a patio or windowsill can crop for months.

Varieties to try

Watercress (the standard)Aqua (reliable)Land cress (an easier relative for soil)

Sow seed on the surface of damp, peat-free compost in a pot or tray in March to September, pressing in lightly, and stand in a saucer or tray of water 2–3 cm deep. Seeds germinate in about a week at 15–20°C. Keep in partial shade outdoors.

The easiest method is to root supermarket watercress stems in a glass of water, then pot up the rooted cuttings. Keep the water changing every day or two to prevent stagnation.

Top tips

• Stand pots in 2–3 cm of water.
• Change the water frequently.
• Root shop-bought stems.
• Provide partial shade.

Keep the compost permanently wet, and change the water in the saucer every day or two in summer. Pinch out growing tips to encourage side shoots, and cut flower buds as they appear.

Avoid watercress from stagnant or livestock-affected water, due to liver fluke risk; homegrown plants from clean water are fine. Flea beetle and aphids may appear. Renew plants each year from cuttings.

Top tips

• Keep roots wet always.
• Pinch out tips.
• Remove flower buds.
• Take new cuttings yearly.

Watch out for

Flea beetleAphidsSlugsStagnant water

Cut stems 5 cm above the base with scissors when they are 10–15 cm long, from 6–8 weeks after sowing. Cut regularly to encourage bushy regrowth, and harvest in the morning.

Plants flower in early summer, after which leaves become bitter. Cut back hard and let it regrow, or take cuttings.

If growing in a pot standing in water, change the water daily in hot weather to avoid stagnation, which can lead to bitter, tough leaves. In winter, plants slow and may die back, so bring pots into a cool greenhouse or cold frame.

Top tips

• Cut stems regularly.
• Cut above the base.
• Take cuttings for next year.
• Harvest in the morning.

Eat watercress raw in salads and sandwiches, make it into soup with potato, or wilt it into omelettes and sauces. Its peppery bite pairs with eggs, smoked fish, oranges and potatoes.

Use quickly, since it wilts fast. Keep stems in a glass of water in the fridge for up to 3 days. The soup freezes well.

Top tips

• Make soup with potato.
• Keep stems in water.
• Pair with eggs and smoked fish.
• Wash thoroughly.