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Watercress...would you....
Eat it? I was given some pond plants by someone who grows them as their business. Before this the water beds they use were cress beds and remnants of Watercress must have been in the plants. I now have a good amount of Watercress in my pond. Would this be safe to eat...I ask as I thought it had to be grown in fresh running water. Incidentally there are fish in the pond.
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It can become invasive if it likes your pond.
It's fine to eat it - the reason we're advised not to eat foraged wild watercress is because of the danger of contracting liver fluke from grazing animals which may have fouled the water.
In a self-contained garden pond with no grazing animal access it should be perfectly fine as Welshonion says
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'd eat it
Thoroughly rinsed though
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you for your replies. . . My main concern was Liver Fluke as I'd read about it. . . not that I graze animals. It seems to grow really well just by the pipe where the filtered water comes back into the pond. Not sure if you can tell by the picture but the cress has grown about 6 inches above the water level, so not all is touching the pond water....Seems a a shame not to use it as I make a lot of Watercress soup.
I'll definitely be looking for land cress next time I'm at the Garden centre. Can it be used in the same way as Watercress?
Yes - it's great. You can also grow watercress in a plastic bucket or box with fresh water in it. Simples
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'm going against everyone else and saying not to eat it. Land snails carry liver flukes so I would guess pond snails do as well. But then I don't have any running water going into my pond. I think growing it in a bucket would be safer.
I grow it in the waterfall in my fish pond and have been eating it for years - delish!
One the rare occasions we get a long period of wet it also pops up in the flowerbeds, then I can supply the neighbours as well.
As was said above, the danger arises from livestock drinking water from upstream and possibly introducing flukes. So long as livestock are not drinking from the same source, I think it'll be fine
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Yuk, no. Think of all the fish and frog poo. You have no idea what is using your pond at night. I'd grow a batch in clean water away from tiny and microscopic creatures.
Fish and frog poo?? Your'e having a laugh!!
All part of the food cycle - same as adding horse/cow muck to the veg patch - all good stuff
I give mine a good rinse and have been eating it for 5+ yrs with no (known) ill effects
I just popped a bit in at the top of the waterfall and although there's not much in the summer, most of the year it grows quite well - sometimes too well.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.