Cress Seeds - Watercress

Minimum Seeds per Packet: 500

Packet Weight: 1g

Planting Season: Spring or Fall

Sowing Method: Direct Seed

Seed Depth: 1/4"

Direct Seed Spacing: 1-2"

Soil Temperature: 40-65 ℉

Days to Sprout: 7-15

Mature Spacing: 6-8"

Sun Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

Frost Tolerance: Frost Tolerant

Days to Harvest: 45

When to Seed Watercress

Watercress should be sown outdoors in early fall or late winter, as soon as the soil is workable. 

Where to Plant Watercress

Choose a location with full sun or partial shade. They are very tolerant of poor soils but will need to stay consistently moist while not sitting in stagnant water. 

Growing Watercress

Watercress is extremely frost tolerant and will readily self-sow year after year, providing a neverending and perennial supply of greens. Broadcast your seed and gently rake them in or take the more organized approach. They can be planted about ¼ inch deep and one to two inches apart. They can be thinned to six to eight inches as they continue to mature.

Harvesting Watercress

Harvest your greens using the cut and come again method, cutting the leaves off near the base of the plant but leaving the growth tip intact. You can often get more than one harvest out of your crop each year.

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

Like other plants in the mustard family, watercress requires a cold period followed by warm weather to trigger flowering. Once temperatures heat up in late spring, it will send up flower stalks, which produce blossoms and seed pods very similar to those of radishes or arugula. Harvest the seed pods once they have turned completely brown, and bring them inside to finish drying in an open container or paper bag. Once the seeds are totally dry, you can separate them from the pods with your fingers, or by threshing and winnowing. (Crush the seeds and pods, then pour them from one container into another in front of a box fan set on low, blowing away the chaff. This can be tricky with very tiny seeds like watercress.) Store your seeds in a sealed container in a cool, dark, and dry location.