Watercress.

[Mave]

I have acquired an old Londonderry sink, and I was thinking of trying to grow watercress in it.  I understand that this needs running water.  If I flooded it each time I went to the allotment do you think this would work?  Also I’ve not been able to find watercress seeds but I read somewhere that you can take cuttings from the bags you buy from the supermarket.  Has anyone tried this?

[Mave]

[Truffle]

Yeah- I’ve been wondering this too. I would like to grow it in a water butt on the allotment. I remember seeing an article a while back about a guy who grows watercress in an old watering can….

Any experts out there to answer our needs?!?!?!?

Truffle

Grow truffles: www.PlantationSystems.com :Buy truffle-trees!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I believe it will grow perfectly well in still water, and even out of water. Search the site, I'm sure we've talked about this before.

[tim]

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[myrtle]

Suffolk herbs sell watercress seed online or otherwise. http://suffolkherbs.com/

My packet:
When to sow - April
Where - Broadcast in shallow trenches in open ground
What to do next - Thin as they grow to 10cm apart
May readily be cultivated without running water but it must be kept very moist.

Hope that helps. :)

[Yuet_Lee]

yes you can choose some from the bag you bought from supermarket. It's grow no problem just leave it in water,few day later you should see the roots ;) ;) I had mine grew in wet soil. It come up every year! ;D

[Trixiebelle]

I bought watercress seeds last year and planted them as follows~:

Dug a trench in the most water-soaked area of the allotment

Planted the seeds according to the packet (I think Thompson & Morgan do them)

Installed those green pipe things that are supposed to go into Growbags: Big long pipe thing with holes in it and a pot thing on the end of it that you pour water down and it's supposed to irrigate your bags.

Poured water down long pipes.

No sign of watercress.

Buy it from supermarket .... loads cheaper  ;D

[tim]

Easy my way, but takes a while to mature.

Marshalls do them too.  And yes - the bought stuff grows roots in water quite qiickly.

[Mave]

Thanks for all the information. Very much appreciated. I think I will try taking my own cuttings from bags bought from the supermarket.  (My local Tesco sell bags near the sell by date for ten pence)   If this fails I can always grow American land cress I’ve got seeds for that.

[tim]

And that self-seeds!

[Truffle]

OK- I now have some store-bought watercress rooting in some jamjars full of water.

Also, I sowed some American land cress on the allotment last September and it grows really well. Highly reccomended.

Cheers,

Truffle

[fluffygrue]

Incidentally, someone asked something similar on Gardener's Question Time this week.. Bob Flowerdew reckoned it was safe to eat from your pond as long as it was cooked and turned into soup, so you could always do that.

Melanie

[Truffle]

OK, a quick and pretty amazing update:

My water cress have already developed roots!!!!!!! Yesterday the cuttings were so wilted that I did not think they would survive. However, as of 4.20 today several of them have roots sprouting already...... the waters warm and they've been in a very warm room which may have helped.

Amazing- so quick,

Truffle