THE CHINESE HERB GARDEN - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 144

The Romans ate large quantities of watercress, partly because it was thought to pre-
vent hair from falling out. The Greeks regarded it as a cure for insanity and also for
drunkenness. (It was always served at large banquets.)
While watercress has long been gathered in the wild, it's no longer so easy to do.
The plants are much harder to find, and even apparently clean streams may be polluted.
You're better off growing your own. Nothing could be easier. If you grow it indoors,
watercress is a good year-round vegetable.
Appearance
Watercress is a dark green, small-leaved plant usually sold in dripping bunches in the
produce section of the supermarket. Never buy or use any that's turning yellow; it's
good only for the compost heap.
How to Grow
Getting started. You can plant water-cress anytime, though most sources recommend
starting seeds in early spring. Watercress must have wet feet and prefers cool water; as
long as that's provided, it won't pay much attention to air temperatures. (If you run into
a really hot spell, drop an ice cube into the water.)
Planting. You can grow watercress either from seeds or sprigs. Sow seeds on the sur-
face of moist soil and just barely cover with more soil. If you're starting seeds indoors
or planning to grow this indoors, mix a little limestone as well as some fertilizer into the
soil before planting. Stand the pot or other seed container in another container of water
(shallow or deep, doesn't matter).
To plant sprigs, I start watercress by buying a good, fresh bunch of water-cress in
the market. I root the stems in water or soil, whichever happens to be more convenient
at the time. It's easy. Remove any leaves that would lie under the soil or below the water
line. Place in a glass of water, or poke all the little pieces of jointed stem into the soil
so that the joint is covered by soil. They form roots in a few days and can then be trans-
planted into a permanent pot of moist soil with a bit of the stem out in the air. Remove
any leaves that turn yellow, and discard any stems that don't root. Once you've got it
growing, you can easily get more stock by taking cuttings from the plants and rooting
them in water or soil.
Growing needs. Watercress can be planted outside as long as you have a spot that stays
moist all the time. It does best in high shade (a term for no sun but plenty of light). If
you don't have the right conditions for growing it in the ground, grow it in a pot either
indoors or out. I grow it on my porch in the summer and on a kitchen window-sill in
the winter. It helps to have it near the sink because it needs fresh water once a day in