Garden cress is a fast-growing cool-season green that reaches harvest in just 45 days, delivering a potent peppery punch that transforms salads and sandwiches. This frost-tolerant member of the Brassicaceae family thrives in full sun with moderate water and modest spacing, making it accessible even to beginning gardeners. Unlike its watercress cousin, garden cress packs considerably more heat and tang, offering a flavor intensity that works as a sparkling accent rather than a mild background green.
Full Sun
Moderate
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10in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Garden cress lives up to its peppery reputation with a sharpness that cuts through dishes far more aggressively than arugula. Its rapid 45-day timeline and cold tolerance mean you can sow it in early spring and again in early fall, capturing two prime growing windows before summer heat sends it bolting. The flavor is genuinely potent enough to use sparingly, making a small planting go remarkably far in the kitchen.
Scatter garden cress sparingly across salads where its peppery intensity acts as a flavor catalyst, or use it on sandwiches and composed plates where a small handful provides considerable impact. Its sharp tang works particularly well alongside mild cheeses, fresh eggs, and delicate fish preparations. Because it bolts readily in warm weather, succession planting keeps supply steady through the cooler months when this green truly shines.
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Direct sow garden cress in early to mid spring or in early fall, avoiding the heat of summer when the plant bolts rapidly. Sow in full sun in soil with steady moisture. The cool season is essential for success.
Harvest garden cress at 45 days when the plant reaches its mature height of 10 inches. Gather leaves before the plant bolts, as heat triggers flowering and shifts energy away from tender leaf production. Harvest in the morning when plants are crisp and full of moisture.
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