Two tasty herbs

Press, 27 March 1981, Page 9

Two tasty herbs

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M Lusty

Mustard and cress provide quick-maturing, tasty, and nutritious vegetables, ideal for garnishing- sandwiches, particularly when placed between two thick slices of wholemeal bread.' It is usual to sow white mustard because it is less bitter than the brown one. 'With cress it is immaterial whether.a curled Or the plain type is chosen, because the crop is eaten in the seed-leaf stage when there is little or no difference between the two. It is also worth noting that black rape-seed can, and is, used as a substitute for mustard. While perhaps not as

flavoursome as the latter, if sprouts without the seed case; adhering to -the seed leaves. Both mustard and cress can be sown at any time of the year. Although they can be sown together, cress should really be sown a day or two earlier because it is a little slower to germinate. Seed can be grown in the open, but is more successful in containers and such like

because the plants must be grown rapidly to produce tender, leafy growth. The seed should be grown on very finely sieved soil, or any other moisture retentive medium, such as pieces of sacking, strips of flannel, or even on pads of cotton wool.

The latter methods are better as no soil adheres to the seedlings. The seed should be spread thickly and evenly, lightly pressed down and then watered in. The receptacle should be covered over with a sheet of cardboard or any light, impermeable covering. As soon as the seeds have germinated remove the cover and keep the growing medium moist, watering with luke warm water through a fine rose.

When the plants are 50mm high, they can be cut for use. It normally takes about ten to fourteen days for the cress to reach this stage. Weekly sowing will provide a continuity of supply, in a ready accessible form, ideal for flat dwellers and anybody else with limited space for growing things.