If you want to add zing and zest to your next salad, sandwich, pasta or stir-fry, try some homegrown arugula. This tangy star ingredient in mesclun salad mixes is a quick and easy grower.
Native to Southern Europe, arugula can be grown most of the year and even indoors. It does best in the cooler weather of late winter and early spring.
Arugula seed germinates quickly and grows readily. Plant seed now and you’ll be munching on this zesty salad green in as little as three to four weeks. The plant is an annual that will last two to four months before going to seed. Once it begins to flower, the leaves become bitter, so it’s best to keep the flowers pinched off. Also keep in mind that the warmer the weather, the stronger the taste.
(Julie Bawden-Davis)To have luck growing arugula, keep the following tips in mind:
Plant arugula in an area of the garden that gets at least four to five hours of sun daily. Arugula will grow in a shadier area, but will produce less flavorful leaves.
To plant arugula in the ground, remove weeds and loosen the area with a rake or hand trowel. Sprinkle seed over the soil and cover with a 1/4-inch layer of fine soil, such as a seed starting mix. Water well and keep the soil moist until the seed germinates, which should occur in five to seven days.
Arugula thrives in containers. Fill a pot with a pre-moistened, fine potting soil and sprinkle the surface with seed. Top off with a 1/8-inch layer of soil or seed starting mix. Water thoroughly and keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate.
To grow arugula indoors, place under artificial, full-spectrum lighting in a cool room or a greenhouse.
Water arugula prior to the soil surface drying out. Keep the plants moist but not soggy. Potted plants will require watering more often, especially in dry weather.
Arugula isn’t a heavy feeder. Fertilize once when the plants get their first set of true leaves with an organic, liquid fertilizer.
Weed your arugula patch on a regular basis so that the plants don’t get choked out or leaf production slows.
For continual arugula harvest, sow seed every two to three weeks. This will ensure that you always have a good selection of young, tender leaves at peak flavor.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of seven books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com.
