The Production Technology of Haloon

Introduction

The plant
Haloon is an Indian variety of garden cress that is grown widely by the Indian and Bangladeshi
community on allotments. It is often grown to a larger size than the cress used for salads. Both the seeds
and the leaves are used in cooking and for beneficial health properties.

Seed of Haloon

Classification:

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Super division Spermatophyta – Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons

Subclass Dilleniidae

Order Capparales

Family Brassicaceae – Mustard family

Genus Lepidium L. – pepper weed

Species Lepidium sativum L. – garden cress pepper weed

 Garden cress, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 134 kJ (32 kcal)

Carbohydrates 5.5 g

- Sugars 4.4 g

- Dietary fiber 1.1 g

Protein 2.6 g

Varieties and plant material

Haloon is generally not sold as named varieties, and the vast majority of it is sown from whole seed spice
packets obtainable in Asian grocery stores.

Planting and Site

Haloon is very easy to grow and can be grown in a number of ways. For people with a lack of space,
haloon can be grown in a container on the windowsill. Sow any time of year into a small container of
potting compost. Keep the container moist, and they should germinate within a few days and be ready to
harvest from 10 days onwards.
A small patch (1- to 2-feet square) provides plenty of cress.

It grows best on

Well-drained, moderately fertile soil with high organic matter and pH 6.0 to 6.7

How to plant:
Propagate by seed. Germination temperature: 55 F to 75 F. Days to emergence: 2 to 7 - In early
spring when soils are cold (~45 F), germination may take two weeks. Seed can be saved 5 years.
Broadcast seed and cover very lightly with soil or compost.

Sowing time

March September.
Sow directly into the site,

Rows to Row distance 20cm

Plant to Plant distance 5cm
The soil should be kept moist. Germination is quick, within a few days. After a week, thin the seedlings to
10cm spacing.
Haloon will need to be sown every two weeks to ensure a regular supply. If you are growing it for seed
production, it will flower most quickly from sowings in May – June. It has white flowers followed by
long thin seedpods.
Intercropping
You can grow cress with carrots or radishes, or mix it with other salad green crops. Keep cress well
watered and provide shade when weather warms. Cover with fabric row covers if flea beetles or other
pests are a problem.

Pests, weeds and diseases

Haloon is in the cabbage family, so should be included in the brassica part of the rotation to avoid
spreading the risk of clubroot. As a brassica it is potentially prone to a whole host of pests and diseases,
but in practice, it does not suffer extensively, as it is not in the ground for long. Slugs and snails are the
most likely hazard to attack it as it emerges or pigeons, once it has reached a larger size.

Harvesting and storage

When using it as a leaf, cut with scissors after 10 days. The leaves will not store well and should be used
soon after harvesting. Leaves can be used in salads or in soups, or if allowed to grow to a larger size,
they are mixed with spinach in curries.
To collect seed, allow the pods to dry on the plant and harvest shortly before they split. Store in a dry
place, and then separate the pods from the seeds. The seeds have a pungent mustard flavor. They may be
heated in oil at the start of cooking or added at the end of cooking. A teaspoon of seeds can be added to
hot water, and the liquid is traditionally drunk to relieve a range of ailments including indigestion and
hiccups. A traditional Indian remedy for rheumatic pains is a bag of Haloon seeds heated in a bag and
applied to stiff joints.

Other uses
Garden cress, known as chandrashoor, and the seeds, known as halloon in India, are commonly
used in the system of Ayurveda to prevent postnatal complications. Cress may be given to pet
birds, such as budgerigars. The leaves are effective against liver trouble. The seeds are employed
as poultice for removing pain, swelling etc. When taken internally with milk, they can cause
abortion. The roots are helpfull against syphilis. Some use it to cure asthma, bronchitis bleeding
piles. Lepidium sativum seeds are used medicinally for indigestion and constipation.