How long until I can harvest?

You can harvest microgreens in 7 to 10 days or full leaves in 3 to 4 weeks.

Does it need full sun?

It prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade, especially in warmer weather.

Plant guide

Garden Cress.

Lepidium sativum

Pronounced leh-PID-ee-um sah-TEE-vum

Also known as Cress, Cultivated Cress, Garden Cress, Gardencress pepperweed

Garden cress is a fast growing, edible herb that adds a peppery kick to your salads and sandwiches. It is incredibly easy to grow indoors on a windowsill or outdoors in a garden bed. You will be harvesting your own fresh greens in just a few weeks.

Another photo of Garden Cress — Photo by Oleksii Vasyliuk (CC BY) via iNaturalist

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Annual herb
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 1 to 2 days
Mature size: 1 to 2 feet
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 2 to 11
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged to ensure the best flavor. Watch for wilting, which indicates the plant is drying out too quickly. Harvest the leaves once they reach a few inches in height to encourage new growth.

Watering: Keep the soil surface damp at all times for quick germination and growth.
Feeding: Use a balanced liquid fertilizer sparingly if the plants look pale.
Pruning: Regular harvesting of the outer leaves acts as pruning and keeps the plant productive.
Repotting: These are typically grown as short term annuals and do not require repotting.
Soil: Well draining, fertile soil
Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5
Temperature: 5 to 25°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%
Drought tolerance: Low
Lifespan: Annual, typically 1 to 2 months.
Deer and rabbits: Low

Safety

People: This plant is non toxic to humans.
Children: No specific risks exist for children, though the small seeds are a choking hazard if handled improperly.
Contact allergens: Handling the fresh foliage may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Airborne allergens: The pollen is generally not considered a significant allergen.
Edibility: Ensure seeds are sourced from food grade suppliers to avoid chemical treatments.

How to identify it

Small, lobed, bright green leaves
Thin, upright, branching stems
Tiny white flowers in clusters
Peppery, pungent aroma when crushed

Height: 0.15 to 0.45m
Spread: 0.1 to 0.2m
Leaves: bright green, deciduous
Flowers: white, 0.2 to 0.5cm
Fruit: green, brown, Summer

Problems to watch for

AphidsCommon
Flea BeetlesCommon
Damping OffUncommon
Slugs and SnailsUncommon

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: early spring, late summer, early autumn
Overwintering: It is an annual that dies with frost, so it does not require winter care.
In containers: It grows perfectly in shallow containers or trays, making it ideal for windowsill gardening.

Direct Sowing

1. Sprinkle seeds thinly over moist soil or a damp paper towel.
2. Press seeds gently into the surface without burying them deep.
3. Keep the medium consistently moist until germination.
4. Harvest once the first true leaves appear.

Plant cress in succession every two weeks to ensure a continuous supply of fresh greens.

Grows well with

Radish · Both are fast growing cool season crops that thrive in similar conditions.
Lettuce · They share the same space requirements and harvest windows.

Similar species

Watercress · It has a similar peppery flavor but requires much wetter soil.
Arugula · It shares the same spicy, pungent flavor profile.

Science

Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Lepidium
Order: Brassicales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Western Asia and Egypt.
Conservation: This species is widely cultivated and not of conservation concern.

It thrives in cool, moist conditions and quickly completes its life cycle before summer heat arrives.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Uses: culinary herb, microgreens, garnish, salad green

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 7/9
Temperature: 4/9
Moisture: 6/9
Nutrients: 5/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

How long until I can harvest?: You can harvest microgreens in 7 to 10 days or full leaves in 3 to 4 weeks.
Does it need full sun?: It prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade, especially in warmer weather.

Where the name comes from

The genus name Lepidium comes from the Greek word for scale, referring to the shape of the seed pods. The species name sativum means cultivated.

Good to know

Garden cress is a member of the Brassicaceae family, related to mustard and arugula.
It has been cultivated since ancient times in the Middle East.
The flavor is distinctly peppery and tangy.
It is often grown on damp cotton or paper towels for quick indoor harvests.

Keep your garden cress growing

This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.

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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.