ABSTRACT
Garden cress, also known as garden pepper cress, pepper grass, or pepperwort, is a fast-growing edible herb, which is botanically related to water cress and mustard. In India, it is known as Asalio or chandrasoor. Garden cress contains significant amount of calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron as well as vitamin A and C, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Due to its health-boosting properties, its cut shoots are an excellent addition to sandwiches, steamed potatoes and soups for its tangy flavour. Being a cool season crop, garden cress requires cool and humid climate. The sowing time of garden cress varies with climatic conditions of the growing region, but in general, the seed sowing is done in last week of September to first week of October in subtropical regions and in March–April after winter frosts in temperate regions. Garden cress is usually not attacked by much insect-pests and diseases since the crop is harvested within shortest period of growth.
