Watercress
Family - cruciferous. Motherland - the countries of North-Eastern and Southern Africa and the Near East.
Leaves of watercress contain very valuable for human life substances( 20 - 50 mg% of vitamin C, 2.5 - 4 mg% of carotene).In them there is a considerable quantity of salts of iodine, iron, phosphorus, potassium and others.
Cress salad is an annual fast-growing herbaceous plant with a height of 20-50 cm. The lower leaves are pinnately divided, the upper leaves are linear. At the base of the shoot form a rosette of leaves. The flowers are white or pale violet, collected in the inflorescence. Fruit is a pod. Seeds are small, light brown. In the room, the watercress grows beautifully, decorating the apartment and giving a very healing vitamin product.
♦ Accommodation - in cool light rooms, best on the windowsills of the north or north-west windows. The air temperature should not exceed +10 - + 12 ° С.
At high temperatures, the watercress throws out the flower stalk, and its leaves lose their commercial qualities. With a lack of light, especially in the first few weeks, the plant stretches and even discards part of the leaves.
♦ Care. The most suitable time for sowing cress-salad is the early spring( March) or the beginning of autumn( September).Pots or small boxes filled with a universal "Biogrunt" layer of 8-10 cm seeds are sown densely, at the rate of 2 g per 10 cm2, to a depth of 0.5 -0.8 cm. Seedlings appear on the 4th-6th day after sowing, and through15-20 days can be harvested.
Watering abundantly. Fertilizers do not apply.
To receive fresh greens of watercress throughout the winter and early spring, it is recommended to sow seeds every 12-15 days.
The leaves of the watercress can be cut, since the plant is capable of growing new leaves. In this case, it is advisable to feed the plant once with liquid fertilizer "Rainbow".
The most interesting varieties of watercress for growing in indoor conditions are - Ordinary, Narrow-leaf-3, Peppery, Curly, Broad-leaved and others.
♦ Pests and diseases - cruciferous fleas are the most common. With a lack of moisture - yellowing and death of leaves.
♦ Reproduction - by seeds.
Application of
Young leaves are used in writing.
The leaves of the watercress are cut off when they reach 6-8 cm in height. Cress-salad is used in its raw form as side dishes for meat and fish dishes.
The leaves of the watercress add to the various first dishes, like seasoning, put in sauces from other vegetables, used in the preparation of various sandwiches.
Cress salad is especially popular in the southern regions of the country. Differing a pleasant aroma, it gives a piquant taste to any snack.
The valuable quality of watercress is that the substances contained in it contribute to the digestion process.