How to Grow Watercress in an Apartment

Watercress is a perennial herb that the average homeowner or apartment dweller can grow. People use watercress in soups and salads because it has a spicy, peppery flavor. Nutritionally, watercress provides fiber and vitamin C. The only difficulty in growing this herb is to keep the soil constantly damp, but you don't need a running stream to grow watercress in an apartment.

Pot or bucket
Compost
Dibble
Container
All-purpose fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the watercress to find stalks with roots. If you buy watercress at the grocery store, place it in water for three days, which encourages the stalks to form roots.
- 2
  Fill a large pot or bucket with compost. The pot or bucket has to have drainage holes on the bottom. Leave the soil 3 to 4 inches below the pot's rim.
- 3
  Firm the compost with your hands.
- 4
  Water the compost until it's well-saturated. The water should run out of the drainage holes. Allow the container or bucket to sit for an hour or until the water stops coming out of the drainage holes.
- 5
  Insert a dibble into the compost to make a hole. Keep the holes 2 inches from the pot's rim, and allow at least 4 inches of space between each hole.
- 6
  Place the rooted end of the watercress into the hole. Firm the soil around the stem with your fingers.
- 7
  Water the watercress again. Watercress needs ample moisture to grow, so water the plants every day to keep the compost damp.
- 8
  Insert the pot or bucket into a larger container to hold any water that comes out the drainage holes. Do not allow the water to become stagnant. Empty the water from the container once a week.
- 9
  Locate a cool, shady area to grow the watercress. In about a month, the watercress will be established and growing.
- 10
  Feed the watercress after it begins producing new shoots. Mix and apply an all-purpose fertilizer according to label directions.

How to Grow Basil With Parsley

How to Cut & Clone Herbs

Growing Herbs