SPERLI Gartenkresse Einfache Grüne

Garden cress germinates in just 5–10 days and stays under 10 cm – the fastest green for windowsill, pot and raised bed.

The story

Origins & history

Garden cress probably comes from Western Asia and the Middle East and has been cultivated since antiquity. It reached Central Europe by way of the Mediterranean. Its epithet “sativum” simply means “sown” – a plant that people have always sown themselves.

Uses

Cress is cut young and scattered fresh over bread, quark, eggs, soups and salads. On a windowsill it grows within a few days in a shallow dish of Anzuchterde. For children it is often their first encounter with the wonder of germination.

Meaning

At Easter, cress is part of the tradition in many families: sown on cotton wool or soil as green hair for painted eggshells. In England, “mustard and cress” has long been a classic filling for dainty sandwiches.

A thought for giving

After only a few days, cress shows what is inside a tiny seed. Sometimes it takes very little time to make visible that something is growing.

At a glance

• Contents: 1 packet for approx. 4-5 running metres
• Botanical name: Lepidium sativum
• Life cycle: annual
• Height: < 10 cm
• Position: sunny, partial shade
• Suitable for containers: yes (raised bed, pot)
• Sow indoors: all year round
• Sow outdoors: April–September
• Harvest: May–September
• Sowing depth: 0–0.5 cm
• Germination temperature: 15–20 °C
• Germination time: 5–10 days
• Seed type: loose seed

How to sow

1. Sow indoors all year round, outdoors from April to September.
2. Scatter the seeds thickly on moist Anzuchterde and cover only very thinly, if at all (0–0.5 cm).
3. Keep evenly moist at 15–20 °C – the cress germinates after just 5–10 days.
4. Grow in sun or partial shade in a pot, dish or raised bed; one portion is enough for 4–5 running metres.

Delivery time: 1–2 weeks. Manufacturer: SPERLI GmbH. Seeds, not a plant – the image shows the original packet.

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