TROPAEOLUM MINUS
DESCRIPTION
An eye-catching cress with cream-coloured leaves with distinctive purple spots. A lower, compact variety that is excellent for growing in a pot or balcony box. Flowers and leaves are edible and have a peppery flavour and are good in salads or as a decoration on food and pastries.
LIFE CYCLE: ONE YEAR
HEIGHT: APPROX. 30 CM
COLOR: CREAM, PURPLE A
GROWING POSITION: SUN
SEEDS/BAG: 15 PCS
PRE-CULTIVATION/DIRECT SOWING
SOWING TIME: APRIL-JUNE
SOWING DEPTH: 2 CM
GROOMING TIME: 5-15 DGR
DIRECT SOWING/FINAL PLANTING
PL ANTENNA DISTANCE: 25 CM
ROW SPACING: 30 CM
HARVEST FESTIVAL: 2-3 MONTHS AFTER SOWING
SOWING AND HARVESTING BUSH CREAS
Growing location : Outdoor, pallet collar, larger pot or balcony box in a sunny location (partial shade works but produces fewer flowers).
Pre-cultivated in APRIL-JUNE. Can also be direct sown in MAY-JUNE.
OPTION: PRE-CULTIVATE
AT SOWING
Soak the seeds in lukewarm water overnight (maximum 24 hours). This will help them germinate faster.
Sow indoors in April-June, about 8 weeks before planting out. Place the briquette in lukewarm water and let it swell. Place on a dish or growing tray. Stick a seed about 1 cm into the growing briquette and cover the seed with some of the briquette's coconut fibers. The cress can also be sown in a pot filled with potting soil.
Mark the sowing with markers. Specify the variety and date.
Cover the seeds with a transparent cover with air holes). Tip – use a greenhouse and place a capillary mat in the bottom to provide an even and good water supply. The seeds germinate best at about 14-16 C.
Water regularly - never let the seeds dry out!
1-2 WEEKS AFTER SOWING
Provide light. As soon as the seed has germinated and is above the soil, usually after 5-15 days, it needs light. Remove the cover and place the seed in bright light.
RETRAINING
Repot the plant when it has about 4-6 leaves, as it needs more room to grow. Plant the entire plant, including the briquette, at the same depth as the plant was previously in the potting soil. Water with lukewarm water. Let the plants grow here before it is time to plant them out.
FINAL PLANTING
Harden off the plant when the risk of frost is over, to accustom it to the outdoor environment. Start with 1 hour/day and gradually increase the time outside. Avoid direct sunlight which is too strong for the tender leaves. After a week or so it is ready for a permanent life outdoors.
Plant the flower in its growing location when the risk of frost is over, for example in a flower bed, pallet collar or balcony box with 25 cm between each plant and 30 cm between each row. Plant in potting soil at the same depth as before. Cress is not a nutrient-demanding plant, so you do not need to add as much fertilizer or fertilizer water during the season. In soil that is too rich in nutrients, the leaves develop at the expense of the flowers.
Protect with non-woven fabric against insect pests.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
Harvest and enjoy. Approximately 2-3 months after sowing, the start of a long flowering period begins. Keep picking off the flowers that have bloomed over and the plant will produce new ones. The stem, leaves and flowers are edible and taste peppery. Beautiful to decorate any food or dessert with.
OPTION: DIRECTLY SEE
AT SOWING
Direct sow outdoors MAY-JUNE. Water the soil thoroughly before sowing. Poke the seeds about 2 cm into the soil with a distance of 25 cm. Row spacing about 30 cm. Plant in potting soil. Cress is not a nutrient-demanding plant so you do not need to add much fertilizer or fertilizer water during the season. In too nutritious soil, the leaves develop at the expense of the flowers.
Mark the seeds with markers. Write the variety and date on the seeds to keep track of what was grown and when.
Water carefully from above so as not to wash away the seeds. Keep moist during germination.
DURING THE SEASON/OTHER TIPS
Protect with non-woven fabric against insect pests.
Water regularly throughout the season if it doesn't rain. It's better to water more and less often than to water a little every day.
Clear weeds that come up between the plants.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
Harvest and enjoy. About 2-3 months after sowing, the start of a long flowering period begins. Keep picking off over-bloomed flowers and the plant will produce new ones. The stem, leaves and flowers are edible and taste peppery. Beautiful in a salad or to decorate any food or dessert.
