How to grow Watercress
in the UK

Watercress, eh? Cracking stuff for a proper peppery kick in your salads and sarnies. It's not the easiest thing on the plot, to be honest, a bit medium difficulty, but it's well worth the effort for that fresh taste.

Sowing

Right, so sowing watercress. You're looking at April, May, or June to get your seeds started. You can sow them direct outdoors, or if you've got a tray you can keep constantly wet, that's spot on too. Just sprinkle the tiny seeds thinly over some damp compost, don't bury them deep, just a light covering, maybe 5mm or so. They need constant moisture, like I say, so if you're growing in a tray, keep it topped up with water. You'll want to thin them out to about 10-15cm apart once they're big enough to handle. Remember, about 50 days from sowing to harvest, so succession sow every couple of weeks for a continuous supply right through to October.

Growing on

Watercress loves its water, so if you're not growing it in a tray of water, make sure the soil is always damp. No pricking out or hardening off needed if you've sown direct outside, which is usually the way with this one. If you started them off in trays, just gently move them to their final spot, making sure they stay wet. Space them roughly 15cm apart, give them room to spread a bit. No need for any fancy support, just let them do their thing. They're not fussy about containers, as long as they get that constant drink.

Looking after it

The main thing with watercress, as you might've guessed, is water. Keep it constantly moist, or even better, sitting in a tray of water. Don't let it dry out for a minute, or it'll just bolt and go bitter on you. A bit of liquid feed every couple of weeks once it's established can help, especially if it's in a tray without much nutrient. Apart from that, just keep an eye on it and keep it happy and wet.

What goes wrong

Now, where there's tasty greens, there's usually pests. Slugs are proper keen on watercress, so you'll need to keep an eye out for them, especially if you're growing it outdoors. Aphids can be a bother too, particularly if it's a bit stressed or dry. Give them a good spray with water to knock them off, or use some diluted washing-up liquid if it's a real infestation. Growing mint or parsley nearby can sometimes help keep them away, you know.

Harvest

You'll be ready to start harvesting your watercress about 50 days after sowing, which is usually from June right through to October. Just snip off the top few centimetres of the stems, leaving the base to regrow. This encourages more bushy growth, so you get a better yield. It's best eaten fresh, straight from the plot, to be honest. If you do have a bit extra, stand the cut stems in a glass of water in the fridge, and they'll keep fresh for a few days.