The fast-growing cool-season green called arugula or roquette may be a favorite among gourmet chefs and residential gardeners. It’s a well-liked addition to mesclun mixes; its musky, peppery taste adds interest to salads and soups. Arugula is rich in vitamin C and potassium.
ARUGULA VARIETIES
There’s wild arugula and garden arugula. Wild arugula has smaller leaves and a sharper taste. Garden varieties include Astro, which features a mild taste, and Rocket, which is more peppery.
ARUGULA PLANTING AND CARE
You can direct seed arugula within the spring as soon because the soil is often worked and continue sowing until mid-August. Well-drained soil rich in organic matter is right, but arugula will tolerate a variety of soil conditions. you’ll sow seeds a one-quarter inch deep and one inch apart in rows otherwise you can broadcast arugula by itself or mixed with other greens.
Arugula is additionally good for intercropping between longer season plants. However, you plant them confirm you thin the seedlings in order that they stand six inches apart.
By making successive sowings every two to 3 weeks until a month before the autumn frost date you’ll have an endless supply of arugula all summer. Partial shade will help keep summer plantings from bolting (going to seed). Spring sowings are the foremost tender; once arugula bolts it’s too bitter to eat. Keeping the soil evenly moist will help prevent bolting.
Arugula might enjoy a touch shade during the warmth of summer.
Flea beetles attack young members of the cabbage family, and arugula is not any exception. If you wait a few weeks before you sow arugula you’ll miss the leaf beetle season. differently to stay flea beetles from eating holes within the young leaves is to hide the seedlings with row covers.
Keep an eye fixed out for cabbage worms, and pick them off as soon as you see them.
HARVESTING ARUGULA
Arugula is prepared to reap in 30-40 days. stop the tender outer leaves at the bottom of the plants, leaving the middle to grow on for future harvesting. Larger leaves have a stronger taste, which some people prefer. But when the leaves get tough it’s time to feature them to the compost heap.
Arugula makes a fine microgreen. All you would like to try to do is harvest after the primary set of true leaves appears. you’ll even harvest some as microgreens and let the remainder grow on to maturity.
