Even if you don't have a garden, you don't have to go without fresh cress from your own cultivation. You can create a cress bed anywhere where it is warm and moist enough.
How do I create a cress bed?
To create a cress bed, you need a waterproof base, germ-free garden soil or absorbent material such as cotton wool or kitchen paper, a spray bottle and cress seeds. Spread the chosen base evenly, moisten it and then scatter the seeds. Keep the bed moist and place it in a sunny location.
Create a cress bed in the garden
Cress grows on any soil. The soil should be moist but not waterlogged. Find a sunny spot that you can clear of weeds and loosen up a bit.
Sow cress in rows or spread them widely between other vegetable plants.
Cress is also ideal as a cover crop because it grows so quickly and prevents weeds from germinating.
Growing cress on the windowsill
If you don't have a balcony or garden, create a cress bed on the windowsill. You only need a little space and maintenance is not complicated.
This is what you need for a cress bed
- Waterproof pad
- germ-free garden soil or
- Cotton or
- kitchen crepe
- Spray bottle
- cress seeds
Any container that is waterproof is suitable as a base. You can create a cress bed on a plate, in a jar or even on an upturned lid.
You can also use an egg carton as a cress bed. In this case, all you have to do is place the bed on a saucer so that the water doesn't drip onto the windowsill.
How to create the cress bed
Fill the base with simple garden soil. To be on the safe side, you should first scald the soil with boiling water to destroy harmful germs. This prevents mold from appearing later.
Instead of soil, you can use cotton wool, folded paper towels and even Tempo tissues. It is important that the material absorbs water well and provides enough support for the roots of the cress.
Soak the base with water and do not scatter the seeds too densely. Cress is a light germinator, so the seeds are not covered with soil. Occasionally mist the seeds with water from the spray bottle.
Tips & Tricks
Simply sow the cress in a pretty clay pot that you decorate with small figures such as chicks or bunnies. After just a short time you will have a great souvenir for friends and relatives, and not just for Easter.
