Growing Upland Cress

Upland cress, sometimes erroneously called peppergrass, is a hardy plant. It may be sown in all the milder parts of the country in autumn. In the colder sections it is sown in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. It is an easy plant to grow as well as being very nutritous. Cress adds a peppery taste to salads; it can also be used in sandwiches and as a garnish.

Upland cress grows best in rich, moist soil and tolerates some shade. The Ph range for Upland Cress is 4.5 to 7.5 and requires partial shade during hot weather. Plants should be kept moist during dry periods and mulching will help with this as well as control weeds.

Sow seeds thickly and cover lightly. Seedlings will appear in 3 to 7 days. Sow six millimetres deep in rows 25 centimetres (10 inches) apart, thinning to 15 centimetres (6 inches) apart when leaves start to touch. In most of Canada, mulch plants before it snows to enjoy spring greens.

The seeds are small and must not be covered deeply. After the plants are well established, thin them to 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) apart in the rows. This is a short-season crop that should be planted in quick succession to insure a steady supply.

Matures in 50 days, but outer leaves can be harvested as soon as the plant produces a rosette of leaves. As the plant ages, harvest milder-tasting leaves from the centre.Use scissors to harvest cress sprouts when the youngest leaves turn green, usually 10 days after sowing.

Harvest fresh young cress leaves before the plants flower, when they are very low-growing rosettes. If you wait until the plants bloom, you'll find the leaves are tough and acrid. Stop harvesting upland cress leaves once flower stalks form, as the leaves subsequently become too bitter to eat.