(Lepidium sativum 'Pepper')
Pepper Cress is an biennial herb that is native to Europe and the Middle East but can be commonly found growing throughout the northern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 12” and features slender fern-like leaves and tender lime green stems. This plant can be grown in a container, tolerates light frost, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!
Genus: Lepidium
Species: sativum
Variety: Pepper Cress
Native to: Afghanistan, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, East European Russia, Egypt, France, Greece, Gulf States, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Lesser Sunda Is., Netherlands, Northwest European R, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, South European Russi, Spain, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, West Himalaya, Yemen, Yugoslavia.
Introduced into: Alberta, Algeria, Argentina South, Assam, Azores, Bangladesh, British Columbia, Burkina, Canary Is., Central African Repu, Chad, Chile Central, China North-Central, China Southeast, Connecticut, Cuba, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Eritrea, Ethiopia, Germany, Guinea, Idaho, Illinois, India, Iowa, Jamaica, Jawa, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Leeward Is., Libya, Madeira, Maine, Mali, Manchuria, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Morocco, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Hampshire, New York, Newfoundland, Niger, Nigeria, Northwest Territorie, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Puerto Rico, Qinghai, Queensland, Québec, Rhode I., Rwanda, Saskatchewan, Sudan, Tasmania, Tennessee, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Victoria, Washington, West Siberia, Wyoming.
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual
Days to Maturity: 40-45 days
Hardiness: Hardy. Cress is hardy down to about 20˚ F and will often survive snowy conditions.
Crops: Spring, Fall.
Growing Season: Short, Long.
Growing Conditions: Cool, Warm. Cress grows best in moist soil with cool temperatures. In warmer temperatures Cress can flower before leaves are large enough to harvest, so it should be grown in partial shade during the summer.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 45°F - 80°F.
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 50°F. Seeds can be sowed once the soil can be worked. Germination may take up to 14 days at temperatures below 50˚ F.
Start Indoors: No.
Start Outdoors: Yes.
Light: Full sun in cooler climates or partial shade in warmer areas.
Water: Moderate. Keep soil evenly moist.
Feeder: Moderate. Prefers rich soil.
Suitability: Tolerates light frost, Needs summer shade.
Small Gardens?: Yes.
Containers?: Yes. Any potting soil will work for container growing, in fact, you barely need any soil for these shallow rooted greens. Cress is often grown indoors in a sunny window or during the winter without soil.
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: No.
Plant Height: 12"
Spacing: 3-6" large, 2-3" for small
Sow Depth: 1/4"
Produces: slender fern-like leaves and tender lime green stems
Hardiness Zone: 3-12
Soil pH: 4.9-8.0, Ideal 6.0-6.7. Cress will tolerate most soil types, but will do best in fertile, moist soil that drains well.
Soil Preparation:
Standard Mix, 5 pounds per 100 sq. ft., in top 8" of soil, 1 time: A standard mix will supply all necessary nutrients. This is a mix of various amendments intended to supply all of the nutrients plants may require. It is usually incorporated into the soil prior to planting. The mix consists of:
- 4 parts cottonseed meal (this is high in nitrogen and relatively inexpensive)
- 2 parts colloidal phosphate or bone meal (for phosphorus)
- 2 parts wood ash or 3 parts greensand or granite dust (for potassium)
- 1 part dolomitic limestone (to balance pH and add calcium and magnesium)
- 1 part kelp meal (for trace elements)
Mix these together thoroughly. You can do this all at once, or you can store them separately and mix as needed.
Compost (Nitrogen), 2" in top 8" of soil, 1 time: Incorporate 2" of compost into the top 8" of soil.
When outdoor temp: 45°F to 80°F, optimal temp 60°F to 70°F
When min soil temp: 50°F. Seeds can be sowed once the soil can be worked. Germination may take up to 14 days at temperatures below 50˚ F.
Seed Depth: 0.125"-0.25". Cover seeds with about 1/8 to 1/4" of soil.
Spacing: 2.0"-4.0", 16 plants per sq ft. Give plants a final spacing of 2 to 4" apart.
Spring Crop:
2-4 weeks before Last Frost Date: Cress grows so quickly that it's best to start it outdoors directly in the garden.
Sowing Directly: Sow seeds 1/8 to 1/4" deep about 1" apart and keep moist.
Containers: Cress has shallow roots and does not need to be grown in deep containers - 4" tall flats are perfect. Sow seeds 1/8 to 1/4" deep about 1" apart and keep moist.
Fall Crop:
10-12 weeks before First Frost Date: Cress grows so quickly that it's best to start it outdoors directly in the garden. Cress needs cool weather, so wait until the summer temperatures drop and fall temperatures begin. Wait until its about 70˚ F outside.
Sowing Directly: Sow seeds 1/8 to 1/4" deep about 1" apart and keep moist.
Containers: Cress has shallow roots and does not need to be grown in deep containers - 4" tall flats are perfect. Sow seeds 1/8 to 1/4" deep about 1" apart and keep moist.
Support: No.
Water Needs: Moderate. Keep soil evenly moist.
Fertilizer Needs: Moderate. Prefers rich soil.
Watering, regularly: Water, 0.5 inch, regularly, 2 times a week. Keep soil moist at all times. If the plants do not receive adequate moisture they will be far less productive.
Weeding, regularly: regularly, every 2 weeks. Keep Cress free of weeds, especially while young.
Thinning, when 3" tall: Before plants crowd one another, thin plants to stand 2 to 4" apart. Eat your thinnings - they're delicious!
Support: No
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-5 days
Seed Viability in Years: 4 - 5 Years
Culinary
Young shoots are mild, while mature leaves and dried seeds pods become quite intense. The flavor is initially grassy and earthy, but then develops into a strong spicy, peppery flavor. Edible at all stages of growth, the sprouts, mature leaves, flowers and even dried seedpods each offer a distinct level of spicy heat.
Culinary Use:
Peppercress may be eaten raw or cooked. The young sprouts and baby greens are best used raw in salads, especially when mixed with mild butter lettuce or hearts of romaine. They are tender and blend easily into pesto, vinaigrettes, marinades and chimichurri. Larger leaves may be sautéed, blanched or braised and are an excellent complement to the sweet flavor of young spring vegetables.
Medicinal
Nutrition
Health Benefits
A study funded by Australia's Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) assessed the anti-cancer potential of a number of Brassica vegetables, including cress. For each tested vegetable, an anti-cancer score was calculated based on the vegetable's glucosinolate content. While glucosinolates themselves have limited biological activity, their metabolites – particularly isothiocyanates – appear to have significant cancer-fighting potential due to their ability to promote the elimination of potential carcinogens from the body. However, many Brassica species, including cress, contain epithiospecifier protein (ESP), a compound that promotes the conversion of glucosinolates into nitriles (which have no anti-cancer properties) rather than isothiocyanates.
However, despite containing ESP, cress still had significant anti-cancer potential relative to many other vegetables tested. Even when the potential effects of ESP were take into account, cress still appeared to have as much or more anti-cancer potential than radishes, turnips, cabbage, kohlrabi, Chinese broccoli, mizuna, komatsuna, or choy sum.
A Powerhouse of Carotenoids (Good for Your Vision and Eye Health):
If you're still not impressed by the nutritional value of cress, then consider this: by eating just one ounce of cress you'll be supplying your body with nearly 40% of the Daily Value of vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids). As you may already know, vitamin A and carotenoids are considered one of the best nutrients for the eyes due to their ability to reduce the risk of impaired night vision, cataracts, retinitis pigmentosa, and even age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness in older people.
Cress Contains Even More Vitamin C Than Oranges:
So you thought oranges are the ultimate vitamin C champion? Well, guess what, fresh cress contains much more vitamin C than fresh oranges! Just one ounce of cress delivers a whopping 32 of the Daily Value of vitamin C – that is 7% more than what you would get from an equal amount of fresh orange. Vitamin C is crucial to keeping you skin, bones, and gums strong and healthy, but it also helps prevent iron deficiency by improving your body's capability to absorb iron from foods.
Eating Cress May Provide Cardiovascular Benefits:
Scientific research suggests that vitamin C may also help keep your cardiovascular system healthy, so adding cress to your diet may be a smart thing to do if you're trying to improve your cardiovascular health. A study published in the April 2004 edition of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reported that the study participants who received a daily supplement containing 500 milligrams of vitamin C experienced a 24% drop in their plasma CRP levels after just two months. Recent evidence suggests that CRP levels (C-reactive protein levels) are a good measure of a person's heart disease risk, potentially even better than cholesterol levels.
In addition, cress is supercharged with vitamin K, another nutrient that is thought to play a key role in maintaining cardiovascular health. By adding just half an ounce of cress to your salad you'll be covering almost 100% of the Daily Value of vitamin K!
Smile, Cress May Be Good for Your Teeth, Too!:
Glucotropaeolin, one of the main glucosinolates found in cress, is a pre-cursor to benzyl isothiocyanate (BIT), a compound that may help fight dental caries. A study published in Microbios Letters in 1988 found that BIT inhibited the growth and acid production of Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium that has been linked to the development of dental caries.
Suggested Varieties
(Allium tuberosum ‘Garlic')
Garlic Chive is a clump-forming annual herb that is native to Asia but can be found growing throughout the Midwest, and along the southern and eastern coasts of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 10-18" and features 12” tapering, soft textured, cylindrical leaves, leafless stems, and 2” violet scented, star-shaped, white flowers that have brown striped tepals. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, and ladybugs, repels aphids, carrot fly, Japanese beetles, and moles, is resistant to deer, tolerates drought and frost, is used to make fungicides and insecticides, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!
(Allium schoenoprasum ‘Onion')
Onion Chive is a native clump-forming perennial herb that can be found growing throughout the northern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 20” and features 12” dark green grassy-like leaves and 16” stems that are topped with aromatic pale purple clover-like flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and pollinating moths, repels aphids, carrot fly, Japanese beetles, and moles, is resistant to deer, tolerates drought and frost, is used to make fungicides and insecticides, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!
(Allium fistulosum 'Evergreen White Bunching')
Evergreen White Bunching Onion is a heirloom, hardy, cool weather biennial vegetable that is native to Asia, but can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 12-20” and features 12–14" bright green, hollow stalks and greenish-white flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, tolerates drought and light frost, makes dye, repels moles, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Mentha ‘piperita’)
Peppermint is a perennial herb that is native to Europe and central Asia but can be commonly found growing in wetlands and along streams throughout most of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 1-2' and features 1-2” dark green, toothed, lance-shape, aromatic leaves and terminal spikes that bare small pinkish/lavender flowers. This plant can be grown in containers, attracts bees and butterflies, repels ants, aphids, cabbage loopers, flea beetles, squash bugs, and white flies, is resistant to deer and rabbits, is sued to make essential oils and potpourri, its leaves are used to repel rodents, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!
(Mentha spicata ‘Spear’)
Spearmint is a perennial herb that is a native from Europe and China but can be commonly found growing in wetlands and along streams throughout most of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 24-36” and features erect, hairy stems, 3” aromatic, oval-shaped, sharply toothed pointed leaves and 4” tapering terminal spikes that bare pale purple or pink flowers. This plant can be grown in containers, attracts bees, butterflies, and damsel bugs, repels ants, aphids, cabbage loopers, flea beetles, mice, squash bugs, and white flies, is resistant to deer and rabbits, is used to make essential oils and potpourri, its leaves are used to repel rodents, is used to flavor toothpaste, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!