Gardening Magazine

Increasing My Stock of Watercress

By Mwillis
We love Watercress, and it's so easy to grow! The two pots of it that I kept from last year have flowered now, so the stems are tough and stringy - no longer any good for eating.
Increasing my stock of Watercress
I will let these plants run to seed and save the seeds from them like I did last year, but that won't happen for a few weeks yet.
Increasing my stock of Watercress
Ideally, I would like some fresh Watercress soon, so I need to propagate some in a different way. I snipped off a few sprigs of it the other day and rooted them in water.
Increasing my stock of Watercress
I have now planted these up in a pot of moist soil (no, Watercress does not need running water in which to grow!).
Increasing my stock of Watercress
This is the quickest way to get more Watercress, but I'm also trying a different way...
I mentioned recently that I had found lots of tiny Watercress plants coming up in my Onion bed. These must have grown from seeds contained in the homemade compost with which I mulched that bed. An unintended occurrence, but a welcome one.
Increasing my stock of Watercress
I decided to transplant some of the little seedlings into pots. I carefully lifted a few, trying to avoid damaging their roots.
Increasing my stock of Watercress
These look like very healthy young plants!
Increasing my stock of Watercress
I put half a dozen into each of two 9-inch pots, filled with moist garden soil.
Increasing my stock of Watercress
The last part of the procedure is to water them well to help them settle in, then put them in a shady place for a couple of days to get established. After that they can come out into the full sunshine, and within a fairly short space of time they should be ready for cropping!
Increasing my stock of Watercress
I do like getting free plants!

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