Winter watercress SEEDS ,Variegated

Can Grow In Containers

Rare salad greens vegetable -Also known as American Cress and Winter Cress, the herb is a native of Europe and has been in culinary use in salads for a long time.
Variegated Landcress - The leaves are best eaten young as they become even more fiery with age and the variegated color looks particularly attractive in mixed salads along with red lettuce, chicory and edible flowers such as pot marigold and nasturtium.

Height:Low growing with flower spikes of 30cm (1ft)Suitable for:Moist and rich soil almost anywhere!
A colorful addition to the salad bowl. Glossy green leaves spotted and striped with cream and lemon. Use as for watercress. For best leaves grow in compost rich soil.

This hardy salad herb deserves to be more popular.
It has a fiery peppery taste similar to watercress but is far easier to grow. The leaves are particularly attractive with large irregular splashes of cream which contrast well with the dark green background of the foliage. The plants overwinter well, and if given a bit of protection will carry on producing leaves for picking throughout the winter to liven up your winter salads. The plant flowers in mid-summer with spikes of bright yellow flowers which will, if left, self seed to give more plants, or the seed can be saved and resown the following spring.

Cress can be sown in the garden early in spring, as early as 4 or 6 weeks before the last frost, it can also be grown indoors all year round.

Cress grows quickly from seed; typically germinating in about 14 days at 45°F

Garden cress will be ready for harvest just 15 to 20 days after germination. Curly cress requires 40 to 50 days to reach maturity but harvesting can begin 15 days after germination. Watercress requires 55 to 70 days to reach maturity but runner tips can be pinched off for use 15 to 20 days after germination.

Successive sowing every 10 to 14 days will result in a continuous harvest. Plant cress in shade or semi shade in moist but well-drained sandy loam. Watercress is best grown in a container of compost-rich, sandy soil submerged in running water. Cress can become pungent and inedible in very hot weather.

Cut or pinch out cress tips as required once the plants reach 3 to 4 inches tall. Cress is most tender at the early seed-leaf stage; harvest cress well before it matures.