Land cress is also known as American cress, Bank cress or Early yellowrocket. This perennial sprouting seeds variety is easy to grow and grows in the wild in the South West of Europe. It's a healthy and tasty alternative for curled garden cress. It's used in salads and on sandwiches. It can also be eaten in combination with cottage cheese, sausage, cold meats and cheese. It contains vitamin C and a high nutritional value. Land cress prefers a sunny spot with moist soil.
Cress can be sown all year round indoors.
Fill a seeding tray or shallow plastic container with about 1 cm deep potting soil. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil and cover lightly with some soil passed through a sieve. Cover the seeding tray with some cling film or a lid to preserve the moisture and prevent the soil from drying out.
Put away warm and light but not in full sun, at about 15-20 °C. After about 2-4 days the seedlings emerge. Remove the cling film or lid after the emerging of the seedlings. Keep moist but not water logged. Harvest when the seedlings are about 5 cm tall or after about 7-10 days. Cut a small amount when needed. To prolong harvesting: sow small amounts in 2-3 week periods.
This easy to grown variety can also be sown on damp kitchen paper.
Sow outdoors from march. Sow shallow and thinly and cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil or rake in the seeds gently. Sow in rows and keep the rows about 10 cm apart. The seeds need a constant temperature of about 15-20 °C to germinate. The seedlings emerge after about 2 - 4 days. Sow for a continious harvest a couple of rows of cress every few days.
