True Watercress, Cress Seed

True Watercress Cress Seed

Fresh peppery leaves from a classic semiaquatic perennial
Creeping stems thrive beside clean, consistently moist water
Tolerates partial shade better than many salad greens
Excellent in salads, sandwiches, soups, and garnishes

See product details

Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Nasturtium officinale

Days to maturity

50 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

1000 Seeds

About True Watercress, Cress Seed, Cress Seed

True Watercress is a delicious highly nutritious aquatic herb. This watercress has a wonderful fresh peppery-tasting flavor. Being semiaquatic, this cress is a creeping perennial whose leaves are popular in salads, sandwiches and as a garnish. True Watercress grow rapidly in damp soil and can be grown in pots of soil placed in a tub of water if water is changed weekly.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/8"

Days to Germination

7–14 days

In-row plant spacing

4-6"

Row Spacing

12-18"

Plant profile

Maturity

Spring, Fall

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

24 inches

Growth Habits

Spreading, Trailing

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

22,800

Color

Green

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Cool-Season Crop

Before Planting

Give Cress a full-sun location in cool weather or light afternoon shade in warmer conditions, with fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Work in compost and prepare a fine, level, weed-free seedbed. Plan dependable irrigation and avoid fresh manure or excessive nitrogen immediately before planting.

Planting

Cress is best direct-sown during cool weather, beginning when the soil is workable. Keep the upper soil evenly moist until emergence, and provide light shade if warm conditions threaten germination. Thin cress to 1–2 inches for baby leaves or 4–6 inches for larger plants. Make small succession sowings every 1–3 weeks while temperatures remain suitable.

Watering

Keep the soil evenly moist around cress, particularly during warm or windy weather. Irregular watering encourages toughness or bolting; apply water gently at soil level and ensure good drainage.

Fertilizer

Feed cress lightly with balanced or nitrogen-containing fertilizer during rapid growth. Excess fertilizer encourages weak leaves, salt injury, and unnecessary nitrate accumulation.

Harvesting

Cress can be harvested leaf by leaf or cut as a full plant. Choose tender, undamaged foliage during cool conditions and harvest promptly if stems begin elongating toward bloom.

Tips

Choose varieties suited to the season, because cress may bolt under heat or long days. Succession-sow, mulch lightly, and harvest frequently to maintain tender growth.

Pests & Diseases

Damping-off, downy mildew, white rust, and bacterial leaf spots can quickly ruin cress. Because leaves are harvested young, prevention matters more than rescue. Use clean seed and media, sow thinly, provide airflow, and discard trays with collapse or widespread spotting rather than cutting around diseased tissue.

Cress attracts aphids, leafminers, slugs, flea beetles, and caterpillars. Scout frequently, remove affected leaves, encourage beneficial insects, and apply only treatments labeled for leafy edible crops.