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How to sow and grow Indian cress
Indian cress - also known as nasturtium - is a perfect companion plant for your garden: it lures pests away from your vegetables, and bees and butterflies love it. The flowers, young leaves, and seeds are edible.
What is Indian cress?
Indian cress is an annual, herbaceous plant that produces long tendrils.
You might think it comes from India, but it actually originated in Peru. The Spainish brought it to Europe in the 17th century. It owes its name to the taste and smell of the leaves, which are similar to watercress and star cress.
Indian cress attracts aphids and cabbage white butterflies, which keeps them away from your vegetables, like dino kale and bak choi.
You might think it comes from India, but it actually originated in Peru. The Spainish brought it to Europe in the 17th century. It owes its name to the taste and smell of the leaves, which are similar to watercress and star cress.
Indian cress attracts aphids and cabbage white butterflies, which keeps them away from your vegetables, like dino kale and bak choi.
Indian cress is super healthy
Indian cress is an excellent natural antibiotic. All of its parts - the seeds, leaves, and flowers - help you fight infectious diseases and inflammation. It also builds up your immunity and makes you less susceptible to colds, flu, and other illnesses.
Indian cress contains a lot of vitamin C, which inhibits bacterial, viral, and fungal growth and is good for blood circulation.
Indian cress contains a lot of vitamin C, which inhibits bacterial, viral, and fungal growth and is good for blood circulation.
More about our Indian cress
Indian cress, also known as nasturtium, is one of the best companion plants for a vegetable garden. Bees and butterflies love it, and the plant draws harmful insects away from your other vegetables. The flowers, young leaves, and seeds are all edible.
- Variety: Indian cress
- Family: flowers
- Plants per square: 1
- Height: about 25 cm tall, with long trailing stems reaching up to 3 metres
- Sowing time: mid-April and May
- Sowing depth: 2 to 3 cm
- Germination: 7 to 15 days at around 15°C
- Time to flower: from 8 to 10 weeks
- Sunlight: grows in sun or partial shade
What do you need to grow your own Indian cress?
Besides the seeds, you need:
- a 30 by 30 cm square
- Makkelijke Moestuin Mix or MM coconut mix
- a spot with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day
How to sow and grow Indian cress
Indian cress is included in the free Makkelijke Moestuin app. Use it and you will get guidance from seed to harvest.
Every vegetable goes through several stages, which we call levels.
The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and regularly asks you to check whether your plants are ready for the next one.
So you do not need to know how to grow Indian cress successfully before you start.
But if you would like to read ahead, here is what the whole process looks like.
Level 1: Sowing the Indian cress
Level 1: Sow Indian cress
Since the plant produces long tendrils, the best place to sow is either along the trellis - so you can guide it upwards - or on a side patch - so it can grow over the edge. Loosen up the moist MM-Mix and sow like this:
- poke 1 hole in the patch (2 - 3 cm deep)
- put 2 to 3 seeds in each hole
- carefully cover up the holes with soil mix
After about 2 weeks, you'll see something come up. It depends a bit on the weather.
Level 2: Indian cress seedlings
Level 2: Indian cress seedlings
As soon as you see the first seedlings, you know things are going well. They probably won't all come up at once, but give it another week.
Then it's time for the next level.
Then it's time for the next level.
Level 3: Thinning nasturtium seedlings
Level 3: Thin out Indian cress seedlings
When several seedlings come up in the spot you sowed, choose the best one and remove the rest: that's called thinning out. It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. The remaining plant will then have enough room to grow.
Level 4: Caring for your Indian cress plant
Level 4: Care for your Indian cress plant
After a week or 2, your seedlings will become small plants. You hardly need to do anything: if the weather's dry, give them some water and remove the odd dead or yellow leaf. Easy 🙂
Level 5: Flowering Indian cress
Level 5: Flowering Indian cress
About 8 to 9 weeks after sowing, you'll see the first flowers.
The plants will be growing fast and producing long tendrils. If they get too big, just prune them back. Indian cress plants are tough.
The plants will be growing fast and producing long tendrils. If they get too big, just prune them back. Indian cress plants are tough.
What do you use Indian cress for?
The edible flowers brighten up any salad.
Like the young leaves, they have a fresh and tangy flavor. So you can also toss the leaves in a salad.
Like the young leaves, they have a fresh and tangy flavor. So you can also toss the leaves in a salad.
You can make a type of caper with fresh Indian cress seed balls, salt, and vinegar.
Have a cold? Chew on a young leaf every now and then: it's good for building resistance and it helps soothe a sore throat.
Have a cold? Chew on a young leaf every now and then: it's good for building resistance and it helps soothe a sore throat.
The last levels
The final levels
Indian cress can be left in your vegetable garden all year round. The plant continues to bloom until it gets really cold.
It grows fast, so just check back any shoots that get too big or look ugly.
As soon as it gets really cold and starts to freeze, the plant goes limp. It's time to empty out your patch or MM-Mini and get it ready for another round.
It grows fast, so just check back any shoots that get too big or look ugly.
As soon as it gets really cold and starts to freeze, the plant goes limp. It's time to empty out your patch or MM-Mini and get it ready for another round.
So: ready to sow your own Indian cress?
It's super easy to grow, a great companion plant for your vegetables, edible, and healthy too.
Plus: with our app and materials, it's practically impossible to fail 😉
Order your Indian cress seeds here or get growing with a complete starter kit:
Plus: with our app and materials, it's practically impossible to fail 😉
Order your Indian cress seeds here or get growing with a complete starter kit:
Enjoy!
