Allotments 4 All

Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: davee52uk on November 27, 2010, 09:01:50

Title: Land cress
Post by: davee52uk on November 27, 2010, 09:01:50
Grew quite a lot land cress this year - really nice to eat and about the easiest thing ever to grow. In fact this more or less grows wild on allotments together with plum trees and spinach.

The taste is stronger than water cress and takes a bit of getting used to. They seem to grow all the year round.
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: InfraDig on November 27, 2010, 09:11:43
Land Cress is one of the things I "forgot" to grow this year. Partly, I think, because I find growing watercress in pots so easy as it doesn't seem to require as much water as I was expecting. Land Cress is much hardier though, as I am finding out at the moment.
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: BarriedaleNick on November 27, 2010, 09:32:15
I grew it for the first time this year and was surprised how easy it was to grow and how nice it was.  Seems fairly hardy as well!
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: saddad on November 27, 2010, 09:47:47
Once sown you will have it forever if you aren't ruthless at weeding it out...  :-X
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: BarriedaleNick on November 27, 2010, 10:00:43
Quote from: saddad on November 27, 2010, 09:47:47
Once sown you will have it forever if you aren't ruthless at weeding it out...  :-X

Does it self seed Saddad or regrow from roots?
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: galina on November 27, 2010, 10:26:07
Quote from: saddad on November 27, 2010, 09:47:47
Once sown you will have it forever if you aren't ruthless at weeding it out...  :-X

Not quite, didn't seem to survive last year's very cold winter here.  But in the greenhouse where it is a bit warmer it keeps coming back, selfseeded I presume.
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: Digeroo on November 27, 2010, 10:32:55
Mine went through last winter still green the whole time.  Been down to -5 already this year without batting an eyelid.  Suggest you try a different cultivar.

I lost my wrinkle cirnkle because OH tidied it up when it needed the seed saved.

It normally self seeds very readily.
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: artichoke on November 27, 2010, 10:50:51
I spotted it growing wild on my daughter's allotment and planted some at mine 60 miles away to self seed, and am very pleased with it. I have put some into rows to leap up in the spring (I hope), and left the rest as thick ground cover to be dug in later.
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: asj on November 27, 2010, 13:13:15
saddad and digeroo, can you please advise on which variety you are finding so successful?

Thanks in advance
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: saddad on November 27, 2010, 14:15:35
It self seeds but if you tear off all the leaves you can get regrowth from the root. The roots don't persist in the soil like docks or dandelions though. Don't know the variety... just called land cress sure I got it from a Wyevale clearance... possible from Suttons?
Title: Re: Land cress
Post by: Digeroo on November 27, 2010, 14:25:24
I like Wrinkle crinkle but my best one was a weed with six inch long wavy leaves.  Unwins have wrinkle crinkle and it comes in some of the T&M mixed salad leaves.  Just let it run to seed and you will have lots.  I sow in September to give me lots through the winter.  I am not sure these are landcress they are ordinary cress you just leave it longer than the sprouting stage.   Also available from Nicky Nursery and Garden4less and Fothergills.

It can act as a slug deterant but voles like it.  I watched one last summer carefully harvesting it and pulling it down its hole.