Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum)

Garden Cress is a fast-growing, annual herb with tender, peppery leaves. The leaves can be added to salads when mature or alternatively the entire plant can be harvested when young and eaten as a micro-green. Each packet contains approximately 150 seeds.
Garden Cress
Garden Cress
Price Per Packet: $ 2.50

Growing Advice

Photo by Corinna John (CC BY-SA 3.0).

When To Sow

Garden Cress seeds can be sown any time of the year, although plants will generally grow best in Autumn, Winter or Spring.  If you live in a warmer part of Australia and want to grow garden cress during the Summer try growing it indoors.

How To Sow

Scatter sow garden cress seeds, raking in to about 3mm deep and firming down the soil lightly prior to watering in to retain moisture.  Soaking Garden Cress seeds overnight prior to sowing can increase the number of seedlings you end up with.  Once the seedlings have a few leaves you can thin them out, leave about 20cm between them to allow room for each plant to grow. 

Aspect

Garden Cress prefers to grow in a location which receives full sun or light shade for part of the day.  Garden Cress will grow better in partial shade when grown in warmer areas or during the hotter months of the year outdoors.  Garden Cress will tend to bolt straight to seed if grown in full sun during warm weather.

Germination Time

Most Garden Cress seeds will germinate between 3 and 8 days after sowing.

Time To Harvest

Garden Cress doesn't take long to harvest.  If you are growing Garden Cress for sprouts or as a micro-green it will take between one and two weeks.  If harvesting from older plants you can expect you're first decent harvest three to five weeks after sowing.