Introducing Watercress....

[Red Robin]

Kayleigh mentioned in another thread how she simply slung some shop-bought watercress into her wildlife pond and it easily grew. So, I decided to try the same and can confirm that it grows very easily and so far, not excessively.

I'm not absolutely sure why I have done so but I know it would be very easy to remove if it became a problem.



^ The Watercress is in the foreground and then further back amongst the Iris's are Water Forget-me-nots which were already in the baskets of Iris I was gifted when I first created this small wildlife pond last June.

I bought a small bunch of watercress from my local fruit 'n veg shop and used some of the sprigs which already had roots trailing. I closely observe my pond several times a day, especially as I now have breeding newts.

Has anyone else got experience of watercress in their pond?

[Thanx Kayleigh ]

[Kayleigh]

I take no responsibility for any damage caused by adding this to your pond
Some people don't recommend it and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES eat it.
I use it to reduce the nutrients in the water and to keep the blanket-weed and duckweed under control though its not worked so far on the duckweed.

[tom00_uk]

i grow water cress and water mint in the gravel bed part of my pond, it grows well and is harvested often.

[Cowgirl]

I'm also trying it this year Robin as I keep having to top my pond up with tap water & get a load of blanket weed, have a slow leak somewhere that I just can't find, grrrr!

I think it is starting to grow, so fingers crossed.

If it gets out of control, Kayleigh'll just have to visit & pull it out of our ponds, it's all her fault .

Must admit never thought of eating it, it grows in fish poo, yuk!

[Dragonyka]

I grow watercress for eating on my kitchen windowsill in a vase of water. I replace the water regularly and it grows quickly enough and provides me with enough to eat (I'm the only one in our house who eats it.) I keep forgetting to get a bag from the shop to put in the pond But I've got 2 weeks off work now, so hopefully I'll get to it. It's good to see that yours is growing - I was worried about putting it in when it was still cold, but obviously I needn't have.

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I take no responsibility for any damage caused by adding this to your pond
Some people don't recommend it and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES eat it.

I use it to reduce the nutrients in the water and to keep the blanket-weed and duckweed under control though its not worked so far on the duckweed.

....Oh I was hoping that I had found a cheap and effective hallucigenic . Actually, I have no plans to eat it. It's doing well in the river water I stock my pond with.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

....Oh I was hoping that I had found a cheap and effective hallucigenic . Actually, I have no plans to eat it. It's doing well in the river water I stock my pond with.

Well river flukes can kill you so its best to only eat the shop bought stuff..

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

I'm also trying it this year Robin as I keep having to top my pond up with tap water & get a load of blanket weed, have a slow leak somewhere that I just can't find, grrrr!

I think it is starting to grow, so fingers crossed.

If it gets out of control, Kayleigh'll just have to visit & pull it out of our ponds, it's all her fault .

Must admit never thought of eating it, it grows in fish poo, yuk!

....No fish in my pond, so just water snail and newt poo - Yum-yum!

Hang on in there, my watercress showed no sign of wilting but took a few days to get going and now it's looking healthy although with smaller leaves than those you see in the shops for eating.

I wonder, as the roots are floating, would it act as an oxygenator at all?

Whatever happens, we'll all blame Kayleigh

[Red Robin]

For those who have introduced edible watercress into their wildlife pond (and for Kayleigh who has slung hers in ): How rampant is it? Does it flower? Do any particular species of creatures like it?

[Brocakat]

Please can someone tell me about these flukes and how much of a danger are they,please ?

(And isn't Watercress grown in - ' Watercress beds ' & I'm wondering just how would the fluke be kept out of those? )