Watercress

[BonnieT]

Hi,

Does anyone know how I can go about growing watercress? I am lucky enough to have a small fast moving stream going though my garden but no idea how it grows, and cannot find much info on the net.

I would be grateful for any tips!
Thanks

[ina]

There was something on Gardeners' Question Time a few weeks ago - basically, they said that with any stream you might have, the problem is possible contamination further up the stream... So really, they suggested growing it in a container, for example with run-off from a greenhouse or so. Or, if you can be sure that no cows have mucked up the water in your stream, and it's not been too close to any farmer and his pesticide sprays, you'd have to make a shallow bit at the side of it for it to grow without being carried away by the stream.

Sorry, I wasn't listening all that closely - it's funny somebody should ask about it just now!

[QuakerBear]

I've sen a watercress farm in Hampshire (there's a bigg-ish one near Stockbridge). They had large, square but low lying paddies which were kept in shape by concreate walls round them. The water flowed through the paddies very gently, it was flowing but it was so slow it didn't really look like it was.

Sorry I can't give more information but I'll have a mooch round the internet to see what I can find. The farm was near the road so you could just go and have a look.

[BonnieT]

Thanks for the replies.

My stream is quite fast flowing but shallow - I think I will create a little dam and a colleague has suggested using a pond plant pot with mesh sides and normal garden soil - not sure whether or not it needs enriching.

Hopefully contamination shouldn't be too much of a prob, we are in the country and I don't think alot of the land around us is farmed, it is mostly used to graze horses. There is a landfill site about two miles away but I think it is downstream so hopefully it won't be too much of a problem.

I will let everyone know how I go. I have also been told that the best way to grow it is by using supermarket bagged versions as cuttings and rooting them in a glass.

[Salas_Dawson]

we've had some accidental success with watercress growing in our greenhouse, mostly cause it's warm and moist.

I've actually got an experiment going where I grow it in a trough that's being run off my aquarium water, and it's doing quite well when there's enough sunlight.

it seems to be quite happy with enough water, though I think it' may not like fast flowing water.

Salas