Watercress ( Nasturtium officinale ) is a perennial aquatic flora in the Brassicaceae household , commonly known as the Indian mustard or cabbage sept , alongside relatives like broccoli , kale , and radish . It ’s relegate under the genus Nasturtium , discrete from the cosmetic genus Nasturtium ( Tropaeolum ) , with N. officinale being the primary edible specie . As a dicot , it features full leave and a creeping growth habit , thriving in piss - rich environments . Its taxonomy reflects its peppery flavor , a trait shared with other brassicas .
Watercress is aboriginal to Europe and Asia , with its wild origins traced to temperate regions near stream and springs across the Northern Hemisphere . It in all likelihood evolved in Western Asia or the Mediterranean , where it grew naturally in shallow , course waters . archaeologic evidence suggests its role predates write records , link to former human foraging in wetland areas . Today , its barbaric population persist , though cultivation has expand its range .
Watercress has a storeyed past , prize since antiquity for food for thought and medicinal drug . Ancient Persians , Greeks , and Romans consume it , with Hippocrates reportedly establish a infirmary near a watercress - plentiful springtime around 400 BCE for its healing property . By the nineteenth 100 , it became a staple fibre in Victorian England , sell as a street solid food and cultivated commercially in chalk watercourse like those in Hampshire . introduce to North America by European settlers , it ’s now grown globally , from the U.S. to New Zealand .
Watercress is easy recognized by its diminished , round to oval leaves , 1 - 2 curium wide , set alternately along empty , succulent halt that root at nodes in urine . Its glum immature foliage contrasts with tiny , white , four - petaled flowers that blossom in bunch during summertime . The plant grows 10 - 50 cm long , often float or sprawl across body of water surfaces . Its discriminating , peppery scent and taste — due to glucosinolates — set it apart from lookalikes like saphead ’s watercress ( Apium nodiflorum ) .
Watercress is a cool - season crop , thriving in bounce and fall down when temperatures range from 50 - 70 ° F ( 10 - 21 ° C ) . In moderate regions , it ’s harvested from March to June and September to November , though twelvemonth - cycle production occurs in see to it surroundings like hydroponic systems . idle watercress peaks in spring , while cultivated provision from Europe , the U.S. , and Asia ensure availability in markets most of the class , often sold fresh in bunches or bags .
Watercress lend a bluff , peppery boot to mantrap , making it a versatile green . It ’s commonly feed new in salad , twin with milder William Green or fruits like pear to poise its bite , or layer in sandwiches ( e.g. , classic British cresson tea sandwich ) . Cooked , it droop into soup ( for example , watercress soup with potato ) , stir - Fry , or pestos , retaining its zesty flavor . It also garnish substance or blends into sauces , offer both taste and optic appeal .
Watercress is a nutritional human dynamo , low in calories ( 11 kcal per 100 grand ) yet productive in vitamins and mineral . It ’s an surpassing author of vitamin K ( 250 µg per 100 gm , over 200 % DV ) , vital for bone health , and vitamin C ( 43 mg , 48 % DV ) , boosting immunity . It provides antioxidants like beta - carotene and glucosinolates , tie in to cancer bar , plus Ca , Fe , and folate . Its high water cognitive content ( 95 % ) aid hydration , making it a dense , nutrient - packed Green River .
Cultivation of Watercress
Climate requisite
Watercress thrives in cool , temperate climates with temperatures between 50 - 70 ° F ( 10 - 21 ° C ) , ideal for vigorous growth . It tolerates light frost but suffers above 80 ° F ( 27 ° ascorbic acid ) , where it may bolt or lose flavor . fond shade is favour in warmer region to forbid overheat , while ordered moisture mime its natural stream habitat .
Water requirement
As an aquatic industrial plant , watercress demands sportsmanlike , flowing water system with a pH of 6.5 - 7.5 . It grows best submerged in 1 - 2 inches ( 2.5 - 5 cm ) of slow - moving pee or in saturated soil . Spring water or filtered sources are ideal , as moribund or polluted water system invites disease and stunts increment ; oxygenation is key .
Soil Preferences ( for Non - Aquatic Beds )
In non - subaquatic setups , watercress prefers fat , constitutive soil — loamy or peaty — with high water retention . A mix of compost and sand ensures drainage while keep solution moist . Soil beds must stay waterlogged , often achieved with shallow trenches or beat layers to maintain saturation .
Site Selection
Choose a location with access code to shallow , running water supply ( instinctive streams , give , or unreal channel ) or a low - lying , shaded spot for soil beds . Avoid full sun in spicy climates—4 - 6 hour of filtered light works best . Proximity to a clean piss beginning is vital , as is protection from strong twist or flooding .
Propagation method acting
Watercress is spread via root cuttings ( 4 - 6 inches ) from healthy plants , rooted in water or wet soil within days , or by seeds sow shallowly in moist media . cutting are faster and continue flavor traits , while seeds ( germinating in 7 - 14 day ) beseem larger - scale planting but require consistent dampness .
Planting Time
industrial plant in early spring ( March - April ) or fall down ( September - October ) in temperate zone for optimal increase ; year - troll cultivation is possible in mild climates or greenhouses . get down cutting or seeds when water temperature reach 50 ° F ( 10 ° blow ) , assure a cool , stable environment for rooting .
Water Management
Maintain a steady flow of body of water at 1 - 2 gallons per mo in channels , or keep soil beds saturated with casual irrigation if not submerged . Avoid standing pee — circulation prevent algae and hogwash . In aquacultural systems , nutrient - copious piss cycles incessantly , mimicking natural springs .
Fertilization
Watercress call for minimal alimentation in alimental - productive water ; in soil or hydroponics , apply a dilute melted fertilizer ( e.g. , 10 - 10 - 10 NPK ) every 2 - 4 calendar week . constitutional choice like compost tea or Pisces emulsion enhance growth without whelm its natural flavor . Avoid excess nitrogen , which promotes leafiness over lineament .
Spacing and Support
distance plants 6 - 12 inch apart in water beds or soil rows to permit spreading and air flow . No trellising is needed — stem swim bladder or fawn of course . In dense setups , sparse seedlings to prevent overcrowding , which can trap wet and invite fungous exit .
Pest and Disease Management
Aphids , water snails , and leafhoppers are coarse pestilence — control with insecticidal soap or natural predators like ladybugs . Diseases like downy mould or root rot arise in poor H2O quality ; ensure clean , aerated circumstance and take sham plants promptly . Wild harvesting risks contamination ( for example , liver flukes ) , so cultivated source are good .
Growth Cycle
From planting , watercress is harvesting - ready in 4 - 7 hebdomad , with continuous cropping possible as it regrows from cut stems . It ’s a perennial in mild climate , producing for years if maintained , though one-year replanting refreshes zip in commercial-grade setups . Flowering ( summer ) signals a flavour shift — harvest before if hotness is desired .
harvest
Cut stanch 4 - 6 inch long above the waterline or soil when leaf are blue greenish and tender , typically 2 - 3 inch magniloquent . Use scissor hold to avoid root out ; reap regularly to encourage regrowth . Pick in the morning for peak insolence , rinsing immediately to dispatch dust or pests .
Post - Harvest Care
put in reinvigorated watercress in a icebox at 32 - 36 ° F ( 0 - 2 ° hundred ) with stem turn in water or wrapped in dampish material , hold up 1 - 2 weeks . Avoid prolonged storage — flavor fades quickly . For finish , dress bed post - harvest , clear deadened ontogenesis , and refresh water to sustain repeated plants or preparation for replant .
