How to grow garden cress

Cabbage family

When to sow and plant

Sow outdoors 1 May – 30 September

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

Sow outdoors: May to September (fixed months from a German source, not tied to frost) (BZfE: Kresse von der Fensterbank (Stand 18.02.2026))

Good and bad neighbours

We don’t know any sourced neighbours for this plant yet.

Crop rotation

After the cabbage family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years).

The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2031.
If clubroot has appeared in the bed: no plants of the cabbage family for at least 7 years, not even mustard as green manure.

At a glance

Family: Cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
Spacing (row × plant): 25 × – cm (10 × – in)
Life cycle: Annual
Harvest: After 14 days from sowing

Questions and answers

When can I sow garden cress?

Sow outdoors, average for Germany: 1 May – 30 September. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant garden cress?

25 × – cm (10 × – in) (row × plant), according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Merkblatt 2111 Fruchtfolge für Gemüsebeete (Oktober 2016).

How long a break do garden cress need in the same bed?

After the cabbage family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

Sources

Show 6 sources

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.