WATERCRESS
Best nutrient-dense green for home gardeners seeking quick, continuous harvests.
Discover the distinct, delicious taste of Watercress, a fast-growing green celebrated in European kitchens. Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, this annual vegetable is a highly nutritious, low-calorie addition to your diet. Enjoy it raw in salads, lightly steamed, or incorporated into soups. Watercress thrives in full sunlight and requires ample moisture, maturing in approximately 60 days. For a continuous harvest, sow seeds every couple of weeks. It tolerates light to moderate frosts, making it versatile for spring and fall planting.
$8.95
Owner Satisfaction
4.7
/ 5
Category Rank
268
/ 5592
#268 in Seeds & Seed Tape
Price vs Category Average
-16%
Below average
Days to maturity
60
/ days
Who it's for
- Health-conscious cooks seeking nutrient-dense, peppery salad greens
- Home chefs wanting a steady supply of fresh, cut-and-come-again greens
- Gardeners with access to ponds or consistently damp soil
Who should skip it
- Urban gardeners lacking boggy soil or aquatic growing setups
- Farmers in hot climates struggling with early bolting
- Beginners wary of managing slug, snail, and aphid infestations
Performance breakdown
Germination Reliability
Quick emergence window ensures consistent results for home gardeners.
Growth Speed
Rapid maturation allows for frequent harvests throughout the growing season.
Nutrient Density
A powerhouse of essential vitamins and minerals in every leaf.
Environmental Adaptability
Frost tolerance extends the harvest window into cooler shoulder seasons.
Moisture Demand
Requires consistent, high-moisture soil to prevent wilting and bitterness.
Culinary Versatility
Peppery profile shines in everything from fresh salads to soups.
Key Specs
Days to maturity
60 days
Planting season
Spring, Fall
Seed form
Loose Seeds
Variety type
Open-Pollinated
Seed count
Approximately 1300 seeds per ¼ gram
Water needs
High
Flower color
Green
Plant type
Vegetable
Features
- Delicious, distinctive taste profile
- Rich in essential vitamins and minerals
- Highly nutritious and low calorie
- Fast and easy to grow
- Tolerates light to moderate frosts
- Grows best in full sunlight
- Continuous supply with successive sowing
- Pairs well with citrus fruits
What customers say
Customers overwhelmingly praise Territorial Seed's Watercress for its superior quality and reliability. Reviewers consistently report excellent germination, even in varied setups like containers or hydroponics, confirming the seed stock's high viability. The resulting watercress is celebrated for its robust, peppery flavor and tender texture, far surpassing store-bought options in freshness and intensity. A major theme is the perceived ease of cultivation; these dependable seeds provide a strong foundation for success despite watercress's typical growing demands. Gardeners appreciate the rapid growth allowing for multiple harvests. Customers view this product as a premium investment that consistently yields exceptional culinary results, making it a highly recommended specialty seed choice.
Know before you buy
While watercress is semi-aquatic, you do not need a pond to grow it. It thrives in standard garden soil as long as you keep the ground consistently moist and provide ample water throughout the growing season.
Yes, watercress grows well in containers. Ensure you use a pot with good drainage, keep the soil damp at all times, and place it in a spot that receives full sun.
To maintain a steady supply, sow a new batch of seeds every two weeks. This staggered planting schedule ensures you always have fresh greens ready for harvest as the older plants mature.
These are very small, loose seeds. Sow them at a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch and space them 1 to 2 inches apart, eventually thinning them to 6 to 12 inches once they are established to give the plants room to spread.
Yes, watercress is quite hardy and can tolerate light to moderate frosts. This makes it an excellent choice for both spring and fall planting when temperatures are cooler.
You can expect to see sprouts emerge anywhere from 2 to 15 days after planting, provided the soil temperature is between 50 and 70°F.
Still have a question?
Ask Hayley anything about this product before you decide.
Ready to buy?
$9