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Watercress stem starting to get thinner and rotten

waiyujackdMupDCHPwaiyujackdMupDCHP Posts: 6
in Problem solving
Hi I have been growing watercress in water for months and I've recently found out that the stem just above the roots get thinner and thinner and starts to rot (as seen in the second picture) 

Both the leaves and roots still look fine but I am not sure if they would last long. 

Anyone knows if it's natural that the stem would rot eventually? Or I did something wrong maybe too much nutrient? 



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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The whole plant would be better laid in water. That's how it would normally be grown. The flowering stems then grow up and out of the water.  :)
    You need a trough, or a bucket, of some kind, not a small jar. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited November 2020
    You mention too much nutrient - what are you feeding it?

    They need food of some sort to thrive - something like Baby Bio (if it's still around) or something similar.
    There's not much nutrients in tap water

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    You can grow watercress in soil in a pot I have been doing it for years.  They do die down a this time of the year. You can save seed re-sow in spring or buy some from the SM get it to root in water then transplant & you are away again. 
    AB Still learning

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I just leave mine in the pond. It sometimes seeds around, but if not, I just do the same as you @Allotment Boy. It helps to keep nutrients down in there that the algae feeds on  :)
    I've grown it in pots too.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited November 2020
    I have grown this as a microgreen in a seed tray, but I need to find a realistically priced supply of bulk seeds.

    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Cut off the top three or four inches and use them as cuttings in a container of water ... you'll have fresh plants to start again with. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • waiyujackdMupDCHPwaiyujackdMupDCHP Posts: 6
    Pete.8 said:
    You mention too much nutrient - what are you feeding it?

    They need food of some sort to thrive - something like Baby Bio (if it's still around) or something similar.
    There's not much nutrients in tap water
    I am giving it VÄXER, Fertiliser from Ikea. Like 1/2ml per the 500ml jar.

    But I might have added a bit too much a few days ago. Not sure if it's related. 

    Do you know if the stem will normally rot eventually? 
  • waiyujackdMupDCHPwaiyujackdMupDCHP Posts: 6
    Dovefromabove said:
    Cut off the top three or four inches and use them as cuttings in a container of water ... you'll have fresh plants to start again with. 
    Yeah I am planning to do the same but it's painful to see I have to cut away the whole bunch of healthy roots. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They'll grow new ones. It's what happens when you chuck the leaves into water - as I do in my pond  :)
    The rotting stems mean the tops would die anyway, and the roots would be redundant,  so far better just to renew by doing as @Dovefromabove says  :)
    They don't really need fed either. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • waiyujackdMupDCHPwaiyujackdMupDCHP Posts: 6
    Fairygirl said:
    The whole plant would be better laid in water. That's how it would normally be grown. The flowering stems then grow up and out of the water.  :)
    You need a trough, or a bucket, of some kind, not a small jar. 
    Does the whole plant float on water? The leaves of my watercress tend to rot when immersed in water... 
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