We start growing watercress at home
Growing watercress at home is quite possible, even though it is planted exclusively in the open field. Unpretentiousness in care and undemanding to various dressings allows him to adapt to any conditions, settling even on a small window sill of the apartment.
There are a great many varieties of green salad, it is grown in completely different ways. Today, experienced gardeners have discovered that planting watercress can be done without adding earth - in a gauze base. This growing method is very convenient and inexpensive.
Why grow watercress at home
Preparing to grow watercress at home
It doesn't take much to grow watercress at home. The plant is unpretentious to care for and does not require specially prepared soil. Such a salad is often planted next to flowers and even indoor tomatoes or cucumbers... Its neighborhood can be completely different, the main thing is not to forget about regular watering of the plant.
To properly prepare for planting watercress on the windowsill, you need to determine the way in which it will be carried out.
Today, there are three options for planting watercress at home:
- soil mixture;
- cotton-gauze base;
- combined base.
Any fertile soil can be used to plant watercress at home in the soil mixture. The most suitable option would be a fertilized soil mixture from a garden store. Experienced summer residents use a simpler option - they take ordinary soil from their summer cottage, or even dig out the ground from any other place.
It is worth noting that the soil for planting lettuce should be free of weeds.
To plant watercress in a cotton-gauze base, ordinary cotton wool is used, which is wrapped in gauze or a wide bandage. The density of the material should be of medium good quality. This planting of salad greens is carried out without adding earth.
Combined planting implies drainage from a sand and gravel mixture, a gauze layer and fertile soil. Drainage is installed to get rid of excess moisture, the soil mixture provides the plant with important elements.
The combined method of growing watercress is great for first-timers. Thus, you can avoid the hassle of leaving, and the chances of ruining the plants are reduced to zero.
Any box up to 5 cm high is suitable for growing lettuce greens. The plant grows small, its root system is quite small.
Planting watercress at home
Having prepared the place for growing lettuce on the windowsill, you can proceed to the planting itself. The first thing to do is to moisten the soil in which the seeds will sink.
It should be noted: before planting seeds in a container, the seed is not pre-processed.Perhaps this is one of the few cultures that really does not require this. For planting in a soil or combined mixture, the seeds are immersed in water and only then sown. After the seed has been evenly distributed over the box, sprinkle a little soil on top of it.
Using the cotton-gauze method, the seed is sown on cotton wool and covered with gauze.
After the seed has been sown, the soil is wet cultivated with a spray gun. Watering with a jet is prohibited, water must be sprayed into small particles.
Watercress seeds are watered in moderation. Waterlogging should not be allowed - the soil should be slightly moistened.
After carrying out all the manipulations, the salad box is removed to a dark, cool place of 7-8 degrees. Thus, moisture is retained for a longer time, seed rotting does not occur, mold and mildew do not appear.
Watercress Salad Care
To properly germinate watercress at home, it is important to maintain the indoor temperature. Until the moment when the first shoots appear, the temperature in the room cannot be increased. After pecking the seeds and the formation of the first leaves, the degree is gradually increased to room temperature - up to 18 degrees is considered optimal. It should be noted that during the growth of watercress, proper care and strict adherence to the thermal regime are very important.
What is included in the care of watercress salad:
- Timely watering. Watering lettuce should be regular, the plant does not tolerate soil drought. If you forget to moisturize the plant, then most likely this will cause it to wilt. Therefore, special attention should be paid to soil moisture;
- Light mode. The plant loves shade, but also needs sunlight. An excellent place to grow watercress is the north side of the balcony. It is better to hide greens from direct sunlight. If planting is carried out for the winter, then the salad must be organized with artificial lighting. You should be careful with lamps: do not move them close to the plant. When lighting salad lamp, it is recommended to turn the container constantly. This is done so that not the stems stretch out, but the leaves themselves grow;
- Temperature conditions. Such a salad does not like hot rooms, so in the summer it is worth making sure that the plant does not grow in places of high temperatures. The maximum allowable is 20 degrees, better 18. In winter, lettuce bushes should be kept away from batteries and heaters.
Harvesting greens watercress salad
The collection of watercress greens occurs already 15-30 days after the first leaves appear on it. Usually the ripening period depends on the variety of the planted plant.
The salad is cut immediately before eating; it is practically not subject to storage. The cut plant can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than two days.
If you store the salad in the refrigerator, the greens gradually change their taste and lose their beneficial properties.
Cut the salad into small bunches with ordinary scissors. The harvesting procedure begins no later than 7 days, when the first leaves appeared on the plant. This is often recommended in order to preserve the pleasant taste of the plant. The longer it is in the ground, the worse its taste changes, and its useful properties also gradually disappear.
Lettuce varieties for regular collection of greens
To provide yourself with a regular harvest of watercress greens in the winter, you need to select a plant according to varieties that will bear fruit at a certain interval. Proper planting of watercress at home will give a good and regular crop of fortified and healthy product.
Watercress fun
The watercress variety Zabava reaches its maturity 25-30 days after the seeds are pecked. This salad is well suited for adding to various dishes, giving it a special piquancy.It does not require special rules in the care and cultivation, the main thing is the implementation of regular watering.
Watercress
Watercress has a second name - “common watercress”. It grows in height from 30 to 60 cm, has pinnately dissected leaves. It goes well with any meat. The first greens can be cut 15-25 days after germination. It has very fragile stems and root system, so you should be careful with watering - do not allow a large stream of water.
Watercress ducat
The variety of lettuce is whole-leaved ducat, it grows quite quickly. After planting the seeds, the first shoots hatch quickly. The ripeness of greens occurs 2 weeks after the appearance of the first leaves. Such greens can be safely added to salads, or served with meat dishes.
Danish watercress
Refers to early ripening curly varieties. The period of ripening of Danish lettuce is 20-30 days from the moment the seeds hatch. It does not require special growing conditions, the main thing is regular watering and adherence to temperature conditions.
Watercress openwork
Openwork watercress belongs to curly varieties, undemanding in care. The ripening period from the first shoots is 20-30 days.
Having planted varieties of watercress at a correctly calculated interval, you can have tasty and fortified greens on your table every day. In addition, these varieties differ in appearance: from ordinary leafy to curly. Thus, you can not only enjoy delicious herbs every day, but also beautifully decorate the dishes prepared with it.
Growing watercress at home is convenient and hassle-free. Planting can be carried out not only in the soil mixture, but also in a cotton-gauze base. The second method is especially suitable for those who want to get fortified greens, but there is no way to get the soil at all.
Caring for watercress greens is not supernatural. The plant is sufficiently moisture-loving, therefore, in order to successfully grow it, regular watering will be a prerequisite. Also, do not forget about observing the temperature regime. The plant will not tolerate too dry and hot air.
Having fulfilled two mandatory rules - success in growing watercress at home is guaranteed. 15-30 days after the first sprouts appear, you can enjoy the first tasty and healthy greens.