- 1). Till the ground to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Spread 5 inches of compost or well-rotted manure over the turned soil. Broadcast 1 to 2 lbs. of 16-16-8 fertilizer per 100 square feet on the same area. Mix the nutrients with the soil with a shovel. Rake the surface to smooth it out for planting.
- 2). Throw the garden cress seeds in random directions over the bed you prepared. Cover them with a 1/4-inch layer of topsoil. After germination, thin the seedlings to one foot apart.
- 3). Irrigate the seed bed at planting and keep the ground moist through germination. Water the developing plants before the soil surface dries.
- 4). Pull weeds that sprout near the plants. Build a 2-inch mulch layer with straw or shredded newspaper, for example, around the base of the plants to slow water evaporation and suppress weeds.
- 5). Harvest garden cress when the plant's leaves grow 2 inches long, one to three weeks after you sow the seeds. Pull the entire plant or pick the oldest leaves. Retaining the youngest foliage keeps the plant growing.
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