For lovers of cress, the question arises as to whether they can propagate the cress themselves instead of always buying new seed bags. If you have a garden, it is easily possible to get your own cress seeds.
Grow cress in your own garden
- Sow cress in early summer
- Do not harvest cress
- Leave inflorescences on the plant
- Pick ripe pods
- Remove and dry seeds
To get seeds from your own cress plants, it is best to sow cress in the cress bed in the garden in early summer. Leave the plants to allow flowers to form.
The flowers develop after just a few weeks. After flowering, small pods grow from them, in which the seeds ripen.
When the pods have turned dark, the seeds are ready for the cress to propagate. Pick off the pods, shake out the seeds and let them dry.
Save cress seeds
The dried seed comes in a paper bag. Don't forget to label the bag and also note the year of harvest.
Store the bag in a dry, dark place until you are ready to sow the seed in the garden or on the windowsill.
Cress seeds remain germinable for up to four years.
Make cress bloom on the windowsill
If you don't have your own garden, it will be difficult to get the cress to bloom. The light conditions on the window sill are usually not so good that the plants start to bloom. The shoots usually wither, which means that they become very long and spindly.
If you want to try to get cress to flower indoors, you should only use cress that you have sown in spring or early summer. Then there is the greatest chance that flowers will form.
However, do not be disappointed if you only harvest a few seeds despite extensive care. It is usually easier to buy the seed in the supermarket or garden store.
tips and tricks
If you need a lot of cress seeds because you often use cress in the kitchen, ask at large garden shops or health food stores. Cress seeds are also sold there by the kilo.