Other names
Pepper cress, peppergrass, pepperwort
Botanical name
Lepidium sativum
Family / Genus
Brassicaceae / Lepidium
Plant category
Leafy Vegetables, Herbs
VLADIMIR VK/Shutterstock.com
Facts and figures
Light requirements
Sun / partial shade
Nutrient requirements
Light feeder
Difficulty level
Easy
Culture (according to Gertrud Franck)
C - low growth, short growing period
Growing period
15 days
Row spacing
10 cm
Plant spacing
3 cm
Growth height
30 - 50 cm
Sowing depth
1 cm
Germination temperature (minimum)
3 °C
Germination temperature (optimal)
18 - 25 °C
Germination type
Light and dark
Planting & harvest times of Garden cress
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Direct sowing
Harvest
Harvest (next year)
OutdoorsDirect sowing from Mid March to Late September. After a growing period of 15 days, harvest can begin around Early April and continues until Mid October.
GreenhouseDirect sowing from Early October to Late December. After a growing period of 15 days, harvest can begin around Mid October and continues until Late March next year.
Good and bad companions of Garden cress
Good neighbours
Radish
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich)
Bad neighbours
Broccoli
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it away from broccoli.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Brussels sprouts
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it away from Brussels sprouts.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Cauliflower
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it away from cauliflower.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Flower Sprouts
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it apart from flower sprouts.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Kale
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it away from kale.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Kohlrabi
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it away from kohlrabi.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Mustard
Both are brassicas. Clubroot resting spores survive up to 20 years in the soil, so a 4 to 5 year break is needed.
Oil radish
Both are brassicas. Clubroot resting spores survive up to 20 years in the soil, so a 4 to 5 year break is needed.
Red cabbage
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it away from red cabbage.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Rocket
Both brassicas attract flea beetles. Side by side the damage increases, so sow them apart or cover with fine mesh.
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book, Guidebooks, companion planting charts, tradition
Reasons:
- Shared pest is attracted or multiplies
White cabbage
Garden cress can inhibit the growth of neighbouring vegetables. Better sow it away from white cabbage.
Evidence quality: moderate
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich), Derived from plant family or pathogen, pair not directly documented
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Predecessors and successors of Garden cress
Bad predecessors
Black radish
Rotation break: 3 years
Broccoli
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with broccoli. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Brussels sprouts
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with Brussels sprouts. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Carrot
Rotation break: 3 years
Cauliflower
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with cauliflower. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Cavolo nero
Rotation break: 3 years
Chinese cabbage
Rotation break: 3 years
Flower Sprouts
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with flower sprouts. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book, Guidebooks, companion planting charts, tradition
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Garden cress
Rotation break: 3 years
Horseradish
Rotation break: 3 years
Kale
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with kale. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Kohlrabi
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with kohlrabi. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Mizuna (Asian greens)
Rotation break: 3 years
Pak choi
Rotation break: 3 years
Pointed cabbage
Rotation break: 3 years
Radish
Rotation break: 3 years
Red cabbage
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with red cabbage. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Rocket
Both are brassicas and share clubroot. Keep four years apart, for narrow strips of rocket this matters less.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Romanesco
Rotation break: 3 years
Savoy cabbage
Rotation break: 3 years
Swede
Rotation break: 3 years
White cabbage
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with white cabbage. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Winter cress
Rotation break: 3 years
Very bad predecessors
Mustard
Both are brassicas. Clubroot resting spores survive up to 20 years in the soil, so a 4 to 5 year break is needed.
Rotation break: 4 years
Oil radish
Both are brassicas. Clubroot resting spores survive up to 20 years in the soil, so a 4 to 5 year break is needed.
Rotation break: 4 years
Bad successors
Batavia lettuce
Rotation break: 3 years
Black radish
Rotation break: 3 years
Broccoli
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with broccoli. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Brussels sprouts
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with Brussels sprouts. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Butterhead lettuce
Rotation break: 3 years
Carrot
Rotation break: 3 years
Cauliflower
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with cauliflower. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Cavolo nero
Rotation break: 3 years
Chinese cabbage
Rotation break: 3 years
Flower Sprouts
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with flower sprouts. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book, Guidebooks, companion planting charts, tradition
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Garden cress
Rotation break: 3 years
Horseradish
Rotation break: 3 years
Iceberg lettuce
Rotation break: 3 years
Kale
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with kale. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Kohlrabi
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with kohlrabi. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Lollo biando / Lollo rosso
Rotation break: 3 years
Mizuna (Asian greens)
Rotation break: 3 years
Oak leaf lettuce
Rotation break: 3 years
Pak choi
Rotation break: 3 years
Pointed cabbage
Rotation break: 3 years
Radish
After cabbages and other brassicas, clubroot and cabbage root fly pupae remain in the soil. Wait four years before sowing radishes there again.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Radish
Rotation break: 3 years
Red cabbage
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with red cabbage. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Rocket
Both are brassicas and share clubroot. Keep four years apart, for narrow strips of rocket this matters less.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Romaine lettuce
Rotation break: 3 years
Romanesco
Rotation break: 3 years
Savoy cabbage
Rotation break: 3 years
Swede
Rotation break: 3 years
White cabbage
Garden cress is also a brassica and shares clubroot with white cabbage. Keep four years apart.
Rotation break: 4 years
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Advisory service, research institute, Specialist book
Reasons:
- Shared soil-borne pathogen
Very bad successors
Cucumber
Garden cress sown before cucumbers harms them badly, and they may die afterwards. Mustard or field beans are better as an early sowing.
Rotation break: 1 year
Evidence quality: good
Evidence: Long-standing companion planting practice (e.g. Gertrud Franck, Schwester C. Weinrich)
Reasons:
- Allelopathy, growth inhibition
Mustard
Both are brassicas. Clubroot resting spores survive up to 20 years in the soil, so a 4 to 5 year break is needed.
Rotation break: 4 years
Oil radish
Both are brassicas. Clubroot resting spores survive up to 20 years in the soil, so a 4 to 5 year break is needed.
Rotation break: 4 years
Diseases and pests
Susceptible to
Black rot(low susceptibility)
Clubroot
Flea beetles
Open the bed planner Try free for 7 days, web, iOS and Android