Arugula useful properties cultivation. Arugula, planting and care. Selection and preparation of a site for landing

With certain knowledge, you can grow greens or even vegetables on the windowsill without any problems. Very often, arugula is grown in such an impromptu garden. Our article will tell you in detail how arugula is grown on the windowsill.

Growing features

Before you start growing a plant such as arugula at home, you need to understand all the intricacies of this process. Only this will help to achieve the desired result with minimal effort, time and nerves.

What is arugula? This is an annual plant that belongs to the Cabbage family. It is an early ripening vegetable. It is a type of leafy green. This culture among gardeners is becoming more and more popular every year due to its unusual and refined taste. It is also a very useful herb. Culture came to our country from the Mediterranean coast.

A huge plus of growing this plant at home is ease of care. The culture is absolutely not capricious and grows well in various containers: flower pots, wooden boxes or plastic trays.

When growing this greenery on a windowsill, you need to know the following things:

In principle, these are all the nuances that you should be aware of if you decide to grow this plant at home. Small additions to agricultural practices may occur when growing specific varieties. However, they are usually insignificant and their ignorance will not entail serious consequences for the ripening of the future crop.

Experts recommend that when choosing varieties of arugula for growing in a house or apartment, give preference to such varieties as Sicily, Rocket and Corsica. These are early maturing varieties. Therefore, they will be able to please their harvest in about 35-38 days after the procedure for planting seeds in the prepared soil.

However, do not forget that the success of the entire enterprise here will depend on the correctness of each stage (selection of seeds, their sowing and further care for germinated seedlings). Only if you follow all the recommendations at each stage, you will get tasty and very healthy greens at the end. Moreover, from improper care, it is precisely the beneficial qualities of greenery that deteriorate in the first place.

Video “Useful properties”

From the video you will learn about the beneficial properties of arugula.

Sowing

The beginning of growing any crop at home or in the garden always begins with the selection of seed. Arugula seeds can be purchased at a specialized store, received as a gift from neighbors, or prepared on your own. In any case, the main thing is that the seed is healthy and disinfected. Otherwise, you can get a lot of trouble when the plant starts to hurt.

Planting of selected arugula seeds is carried out by surface sowing. It is carried out as follows:

seeds are laid out on moist soil;
between the seeds there should be a gap of 3 centimeters;
then they are sprinkled with a small layer of earth. The soil layer poured from above should have a thickness of the order of 1-1.5 centimeters;
then the earth should be well watered with settled warm water. And for watering, you should use a sprayer. This will evenly distribute moisture over the entire surface of the soil.

The choice of container type must be made depending on how many plants you intend to grow. If a little, then you can use a flower pot. Preferring a pot, you should choose containers with a wall height of no more than 12 centimeters. In this case, a layer of earth must be covered to a height of 6-7 centimeters. In a situation where you intend to set up a small garden at home, it is better to use oblong plastic trays or wooden boxes.

Seed containers should be placed in a warm place. They can be installed near the batteries. This culture will feel good in a wide temperature range from +10 to +25 degrees.

After sowing the seeds, it is recommended to cover the container with glass or film. Then we place the seedlings in a dark place. Under such conditions, the first shoots will appear in about 5-6 days. During this period, the film must be periodically bent to ventilate the soil. When the seedlings have hatched, the film or glass is removed from the container. In this case, the pot or box should be placed in a well-lit place. This will be the permanent place of cultivation. Therefore, his choice must be approached responsibly, evaluating all the pros and cons.

Watering

Arugula must be watered abundantly. But at the same time respecting reasonable limits. Therefore, it is recommended to water the plantings every day, using a spray bottle for this. In general, almost all further care of the greenery comes down to daily watering.

Care and feeding

When breeding arugula at home, you need to ensure that the greens do not stretch. Its color should always be saturated. Any change in color or length of the leaves indicates an incorrect light regime. Installing additional lighting will help solve any lighting problems. It is especially important for plants grown in winter. At this time, additional lighting should compensate for about four hours, which are added to the natural light regime.

When caring for this crop, it is necessary to understand that it very quickly absorbs any substances that enter the soil with water. For this reason, experts do not advise feeding arugula. After all, if chemical fertilizers are used, all substances that are toxic and poisonous to humans (for example, nitrates) will quickly accumulate in greenery. In this case, all useful properties are leveled. In this form, it will not be possible to eat it, and all efforts to grow it will go down the drain. Therefore, in no case should mineral and organic fertilizers be added to a container in which arugula grows.

Arugula is very easy to care for. Therefore, it can be grown without problems by any person who has nothing to do with the garden and the garden, but who loves tasty, healthy and wholesome food.

Harvesting

If the care of the arugula seedlings was organized correctly, then after 8-10 days you can harvest the first crop. After all, the plant grows very quickly and a week and a half will definitely be enough to form young and vitamin-filled leaves. They make a great addition to any salad.

You can actively pluck the leaves after they have reached a height of 10 centimeters. Although you can find information that the harvest of this crop must be carried out in a month after sowing the planting material.

It is worth noting that when harvesting ripe greens, you should not wait for the moment the plant blooms. Harvesting should be carried out as needed. If you do not lean heavily on greens, then it can last for about 45 days.

After the arugula has faded and most of the leaves have already been torn off, you can re-sow the vacated container. With this approach, your table will always have fresh greens containing a large amount of vitamins.

As you can see, growing arugula at home is a very simple process. It can even be called an ideal culture, great for growing on a windowsill. She needs minimal care, which consists only in the right light regime and daily watering. By planting this crop in a flower pot, you will always have a source of vitamins, as well as a delicious and fresh ingredient for culinary delights.

Video “Growing”

From the video you will learn how to grow arugula greens at home.

Plant arugula (lat. Eruca sativa), or sowing caterpillar, or indau, or arugula, or rocket salad, or eruka- a species of herbaceous annuals of the genus Indau of the Cabbage family. In the wild, the plant can be found in southern and central Europe, in Asia (from Central to Minor, as well as in India) and in northern Africa. In culture, the cultivation of arugula is widely practiced in Italy, but it is also popular in other countries, especially in northern Europe and America. Since ancient times, arugula has been considered an aphrodisiac, and references to this culture date back to the first century BC. In ancient Rome, it was used as a spice for vegetable and meat dishes, and in Egypt, arugula improved the taste of bean and pea dishes. Today, the unique healing properties of this salad plant have also become known, so we will tell you about how arugula is planted and cared for in the open field, how arugula is cultivated at home, what are the benefits of arugula, and what are the contraindications of arugula.

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Planting and caring for arugula (in brief)

Landing: sowing seeds in open ground - in April, sowing seeds for seedlings - in early March, planting seedlings in the ground - in April.
Lighting: in the morning - diffused light, and in the afternoon - partial shade.
The soil: fertile, not very dry, slightly alkaline or neutral.
Watering: regular, so that the soil on the site is slightly moist all the time. In drought and heat, water daily.
Top dressing: are not produced, but humus and old peat are poured onto the site several times.
Reproduction: seed.
Pests: cruciferous fleas and cabbage moths.
Diseases: peronosporosis, fusarium.
Properties: is a dietary plant rich in vitamins and biologically active substances.

Arugula plant - description

Arugula reaches a height of 30 to 60 cm. Its stem is straight, slightly pubescent, branched. Arugula leaves are juicy, rarely glabrous, but usually sparsely hairy, with a peculiar nutty flavor. The lower leaves are lyre-pinnate or dissected with serrated lobes. Arugula inflorescences, appearing in May, are long, sparse clusters of bright or pale yellow flowers with purple veins. Arugula fruit is a pod with light brown or brownish seeds arranged in two rows.

Planting arugula for seedlings

When to plant arugula for seedlings

Arugula is grown by seed seedling and seedless method. Arugula in the Moscow region and in areas with a warmer climate is grown by sowing in the ground in April. In regions with prolonged cold springs, it is better to plant arugula on a seedling bed, the seeds for which are sown in early March. As a substrate, you can use the soil in which arugula will grow later, however, before sowing, for disinfection, the soil must be calcined in the oven or spilled with boiling water. And you can use purchased soil for vegetable seedlings to grow seedlings. Soak arugula seeds in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate 2-3 hours before sowing.

Fill a container or box with a depth of at least 10 cm with a sterile and well-moistened substrate, spread arugula seeds on its leveled surface at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other, cover them with a layer of sand 1 cm thick and place the crops in a bright place, nothing covering.

Friendly shoots may appear in 3-5 days. Caring for arugula during the seedling period consists in regular and abundant watering and loosening of the substrate. As soon as a pair of true leaves develop on the seedlings, they are dived two by two into peat pots or transplanted into a larger container at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other, keeping a distance between rows of 25-30 cm - according to vegetable growers, it is such a spacious planting allows you to get leaves of arugula with its inherent pronounced taste and aroma.

Growing arugula at home

How to grow homemade arugula

If you want to have fresh herbs on your desk all winter, you can grow arugula on your windowsill. Sowing seeds is carried out in slightly alkaline or neutral soil, which is prepared according to this recipe: two parts of soddy land are mixed with two parts of humus and one part of sand. Remember to sanitize the potting mix in the oven or spill it with boiling water before sowing the seeds.

You can sow in a box or container, but arugula in a pot will not only keep you on the lookout for vitamins in the middle of winter, it will also brighten up your home. Fill a container with 2-3 cm drainage holes with expanded clay, pebbles or broken bricks, then fill it with a damp substrate, level and lightly tamp its surface, and then spread the seeds over the surface of the substrate, as when sowing seedlings.

Watering arugula

Growing arugula in an apartment will require you to constantly keep the substrate in a slightly damp state, for which you should water the seedlings once every two days. Moisturize the arugula from a fine spray. If plants lack moisture, their leaves become bitter. Remember to slightly loosen the surface of the substrate around the seedlings. A week and a half after the emergence of shoots, you need to thin them out, removing weaker and less tall specimens that can be used for salad. Homemade arugula grows best at 18 ºC.

Top dressing arugula

When grown in rich soil, arugula can do without fertilizers, but experienced gardeners insist that the plant still needs nitrogen supplementation. Fertilizers are applied during irrigation: 10 g of fermented cow or chicken manure diluted with water 10-15 times is added to a bucket of water and mixed thoroughly. Since the ripening period of arugula is short, it is undesirable to fertilize it with manure or introduce mineral supplements, since the leaves of the plant can accumulate toxins.

Growing arugula in open ground

Planting arugula in the ground

Arugula is planted in the garden in April, when the air temperature in the garden rises to 9-10 ºC. Arugula does not like too bright sun, however, it is undesirable to plant it in the shade. You need to choose a site for her in a place where there is sun before lunch, and partial shade at noon. Optimal growing conditions for arugula involve the use of soil with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction, and the best predecessors for the plant are legumes, cucurbits, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. It is undesirable to make a bed for arugula where its cabbage relatives grew - horseradish, radish, turnip, radish, daikon, rutabaga and all types of cabbage - for at least three years.

If you grow seedlings in peat pots, then you can plant the seedlings in the ground directly in them, and if the seedlings grow in a box, in a container or in plastic cups, the seedlings extract them from them along with a clod of earth. Planting pattern for seedlings 10x30 cm. Plant seedlings in moist holes and, after planting, be sure to water the bed. Arugula withstands frosts down to -7 ºC, but if you are afraid of a stronger cold snap, cover the seedlings at night with film or plastic bottles, but in the morning the shelter should be removed.

How to grow arugula in the ground

Growing arugula in open ground is carried out in approximately the same way as growing lettuce - it needs to be regularly watered, weeded, and the soil between plants and rows loosened. If the arugula grows too thick, it must be thinned out or it may lose its distinctive flavor and aroma. You should also be aware that in hot, dry summers, arugula can throw out color, which will negatively affect its taste.

Watering arugula

The soil on the bed with arugula must be kept loose and slightly moist all the time, so watering should be carried out often, and after moistening the soil, the aisles should be loosened. The hotter and drier the weather, the more often the area with arugula should be watered - ideally daily. Humidification is carried out by sprinkling or long-term irrigation of row-spacings from a hose laid on the ground. Don't forget to remove weeds from the garden as well.

Top dressing arugula

Arugula leaves are cut off when they grow up to 10 cm - overgrown leaves become tasteless and rough. From the emergence of seedlings to the first cutting of leaves, it takes from 20 to 35 days. Arugula does not need fertilizing, but to increase the fertility of the soil, you can pour a little old peat or humus onto the site several times during the season.

What to plant after arugula

Crop rotation is the first commandment of the gardener and gardener, so alternate the cultivation of arugula with the cultivation of legumes or pumpkin crops. It is also good to grow carrots or potatoes after arugula, but in no case should cruciferous crops be planted in this area for another three years, since they have common pests and diseases with arugula.

Pests and diseases of arugula

Arugula diseases

When brown spots appear on the leaves of arugula, we can talk about the defeat of the plant with downy mildew, while the Fusarium disease causes the leaves of the arugula to turn yellow, and the vascular system becomes black or brown. It is useless to treat these diseases on already grown plants, it is better to change the site for arugula, carefully preparing the soil on it. Methods of combating peronosporosis and fusarium agrotechnical - compliance with crop rotation and weed control.

Arugula pests

Arugula in the open field can be attacked by cruciferous fleas - the most dangerous pests of cabbage crops, as well as cabbage moths. Both that and the other pest feed on lettuce leaves, leaving holes on them. To prevent the flea from infecting arugula, immediately after planting seedlings in the ground, cover it with non-woven material, for example, agrospan. You can sprinkle the seedlings with tobacco dust, red pepper or ash. And from the cabbage moth, the treatment of arugula with infusions of wormwood, as well as potato or tomato tops, is effective. Of the agricultural practices, digging the soil during site preparation is effective.

Types and varieties of arugula

Types of arugula, or rather, its varieties, are annual and biennial. The biennial arugula root tolerates winter well and gives juicy greenery in spring. The most famous of the biennials is arugula Solitaire - a mid-season variety up to 20 cm high with lyre-shaped dissected leaves of medium size with cuts along the edges. The ripening period of this variety is 35-45 days, the taste is walnut-mustard.

Of the annual varieties, the following are popular:

curiosity- mid-season variety up to 20 cm high with lyre-shaped leaves. This arugula ripens within 22-25 days;
Arrows of Cupid- also mid-season arugula with a height of 20 to 30 cm with long narrow leaves and light yellow flowers, ripening in 35-38 days;
Olivet- early arugula 15-20 cm high with juicy leaves of mustard-nut taste, rich in carotene, vitamins and essential oils. Ripening period 20-25 days;
Rocket- an early ripe variety 15-20 cm high with pinnately dissected leaves of dark green color, walnut-mustard taste, ripening in 20-25 days;
Poker- an early variety up to 20 cm high with large leaves with a sweetish mustard flavor and pale cream flowers. Ripening period - 22-28 days;
Victoria- a variety with low abundant greens of a dietary taste, rich in vitamins, ripening in 20-25 days;
Spartacus- also an early dietary variety up to 22 cm high with spicy greens, rich in vitamins and essential oils, which can be cut after 20-25 days.

Arugula varieties Sicily, Corsica, Euphoria, Taganskaya Semko and Rococo are also popular.

Properties of arugula - harm and benefit

The healing properties of arugula

Since ancient times, healers have used arugula oil to treat bruises, boils, wounds, sprains, and headaches. Today, the beneficial properties of arugula are used for dermatitis, to care for problem skin, eliminate age spots and whiten freckles.

Mustard grass contains vitamin A (beta-carotene), B vitamins, vitamins C, K and E, as well as zinc, selenium, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron. Possessing biological activity, arugula has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and digestion processes. Arugula destroys viruses and bacteria, increases the amount of hemoglobin, strengthens the human immune system, lowers blood sugar, regulates water-salt metabolism. Since the vitamin K contained in arugula promotes blood clotting and wound healing, it is recommended for people suffering from high blood pressure and venous disease.

Arugula has a lactogenic, diuretic and expectorant effect. American scientists successfully use it to treat stomach ulcers and gastritis, as arugula strengthens and protects the walls of the stomach.

Eruka is also indispensable as a dietary product, which contains a large amount of fiber - for people on a strict diet, eating arugula allows you to maintain energy and performance all day. At the same time, mustard grass is low in calories - 100 g of arugula contains only 25 kcal.

Arugula mustard oil has a strengthening effect on the hair, improving its structure and preventing hair loss.

Arugula - contraindications

Arugula, rich in phytoncides, can cause a severe allergic reaction, and if you can hardly tolerate turnips or radishes, you better refrain from including arugula in your menu.

Cruciferous (Cabbage, Cabbage) Garden plants Plants on P Leafy

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Most often, this plant is called arugula. It is also known as arugula, indau, eruka, walker, caterpillar, roshen-salad. In Rus', it was called a caterpillar and was considered a weed, suitable only for birds and animals. Arugula is the Italian name for this versatile plant native to the Western Mediterranean.

Biological features

Arugula, or Eruka sowing (Erucavesicariassp. sativa), is a member of the cruciferous family and is a close relative of cabbage, radish, mustard, horseradish and other plants. Depending on the variety, it can be annual or biennial.

The height of its slightly pubescent, straight stem is from 30 to 60 cm. The leaves can be large, lyre-shaped - in cultivated varieties, and in wild ones - narrow, oblong, openwork. The lower leaves form a rosette.

Arugula blooms in white-violet or yellow, which is pollinated by insects. She is famous as a good honey plant. Flowering of different varieties of eruki occurs in May-July.

Its small brown seeds are collected in an oblong pod. They ripen quickly - in a month. This usually happens in early summer. And then they can already be sown.

Eruka is not picky about soils. Its main drawback is that it quickly runs wild. In ancient times, the Greeks and ancient Romans grew arugula as a vegetable salad crop, and used it as a spice. Arugula has a peculiar spicy aroma, and in its slightly burning taste there are mustard-nut notes.

Useful properties and nutritional value

The benefits of arugula can not be overestimated. It contains alkaloids, flavonoids, vitamins C, B. It is rich in iodine, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium. It also contains malic and citric acids, mustard oil, steroids. Its use in medicine is very extensive:

Prevention of beriberi, treatment of scurvy.
Improvement of digestion, treatment of gastritis, peptic ulcers.
Infusion from it has a slight diuretic effect. To prepare it, 2 tablespoons of herbs are poured with a glass of boiling water, kept for a couple of hours and they drink this remedy throughout the day.
Plant juice treats many skin diseases, removes calluses and bruises.
Thanks to the dietary fibers contained in eruk, cholesterol levels in the blood are reduced.
It plays an important role in the prevention of cancer.
The herb is useful for men who have specific problems.

Arugula is not indicated for pregnant and lactating women, allergy sufferers, as it is saturated with phytoncides.

The nutritional value of arugula is also undeniable. In cooking, two types of plants are used: cultivated (sowing) and wild (wild rocket). The latter in Russia is more common than sowing.

Juicy endow leaves, which have a delicate aroma and a slightly spicy taste with sourness, go well with spinach, various types of lettuce. They can be added to soup, used in salads and cold appetizers.

This amazing leafy vegetable fits well into vegetable stew recipes and serves as an excellent addition and decoration to sandwiches. Added to cottage cheese or to our popular boiled potatoes, it gives these ordinary dishes a touch of sophistication.

Side dishes for meat and fish, in which arugula is present, are served in the best restaurants in many countries. In Italy, they like to add it to pizza, risotto and pasta sauces.

Photo gallery

The best varieties

Cultivated varieties of arugula are divided into annual and biennial (Solitaire). The roots of the latter withstand wintering well, and in early spring juicy greens appear from them. Annual varieties are divided into early ones, from which harvesting can begin as early as three weeks after the appearance of the first leaves, and mid-season, lagging behind early varieties in maturation by only a couple of weeks.

Variety name	Classification by maturity	Short description	Height, cm	Vegetation period, days	Usage
curiosity	mid-season	Leaf - lyre-shaped, flower - cream, weight - 18-20g	18-20	22-25	Salads, side dishes for meat and fish dishes
Arrows of Cupid	mid-season	Leaf - long narrow, flower - light yellow, weight - 15-20g	20-30	35-38	Salads, sauces, side dishes, soups
Olivet	Early	It has juicy leaves with a nut-mustard taste; rich in carotene, essential oils, vitamins	15-20	20-25	Salads, spicy garnish for meat and fish, sandwiches
Rocket		Leaf - pinnately dissected, dark green, nut-mustard flavor	15-20	20-25	Salads, side dishes, condiments. Good honey plant
Victoria		Greens - plentiful, delicate in taste, rich in vitamins	15-20	20-25	Salads, side dishes for meat, fish. dietary product
Poker		Leaf - large, green, sweetish with a mustard flavor, flower - pale cream, weight - 20g	18-20	22-28	Salads
Solitaire	mid-season	Leaf - medium, dissected, with cuts along the edges, lyre-shaped, nut-mustard taste, weight - 20-45g	18-20	35-45	Salads
Spartacus	Early	Diet grade with spicy taste. Grown all year round, rich in essential oils, vitamins	19-22	20-25 days	"Men's" salads, side dishes, a prophylactic against beriberi

Currently, several varieties of arugula are especially popular, which are perfectly adapted for growing in the climatic and soil conditions of our country.

Variety name	Ripening period	Socket	Leaves	yield
"Poker"		Height up to 15-20 cm	Juicy, with a pronounced nut-mustard flavor	1.05-1.35 kg/m2
"Rococo"	Early ripe plant, 22-24 days	Semi-raised type, height 12-18 cm	Medium size, green, smooth, lobed, serrated at the edges	1.5-1.6 kg/m2
"Corsica"		Cold hardy, fast growing	Smooth, green, notched, with a piquant taste and pronounced aroma	2.4-2.5 kg/m2
"Rocket"	Early maturing plant, 22-24 days	Semi-spreading type, 15-18 cm in diameter	Pinnately dissected, dark green, 15-20 cm high, nutty-mustard spicy taste	1.45-1.60 kg/m2
"Solitaire"	Early ripe plant, 26-28 days	Semi-raised type, diameter 15-18 cm, height 18-20 cm	Medium, lyre-dissected, smooth, with incisions along the edges	1.45-1.60 kg/m2
"Sacramento"	Early maturing plant, 22-24 days	Weighing at least 16.5-20.5 g	Medium, with a strong dissection, smooth, lyre-shaped	1.3-1.4 kg / m 2

Landing features

Arugula is a rather unpretentious plant, it grows even where the sun is not always there. True, in dense shade the plant grows smaller and runs wild. But arugula has its own characteristics that you need to know and consider when planting it:

soil requirements. It grows on any soil that needs to be loosened. But it is preferable to plant arugula on slightly acidic or previously limed soils, where calcium is sufficient for its development. Liming is carried out before planting, using lime or dolomite flour, ground chalk and other means for this. Their doses depend on the level of soil acidity and amount to 25-60 kg per hundred square meters.
Crop rotation. It is best to alternate planting arugula in the area with potatoes, pumpkins, legumes, tomatoes or carrots. It is not recommended to plant them after relatives in the family - cabbage, radish, horseradish and others - earlier than after three years.

Terms and technology of landing at home

To grow a high-quality vitamin green culture in room or balcony conditions, it is very important to follow the rules of sowing:

for arugula, ready-made soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction are best suited;
green culture is unpretentious and well-growing, therefore, it is not required to carry out preliminary germination of seed material;
in prepared planting containers, it is recommended to make a thin layer of drainage, and the prepared soil substrate is poured on top;

before sowing, it is necessary to slightly compact the soil mixture and moisten it abundantly;
the depth of the landing holes should be no more than 0.8-0.9 cm, and the distance between them should be at least 15-20 cm.

In each hole you need to lower a pair of seeds, and after germination, the weaker seedling is removed. Arugula crops should not be covered, since a temperature regime of 16-18 ° C is sufficient for germination, at which seedlings appear in about five to six days.

Arugula is grown in open ground and in greenhouses (hotbeds).

greenhouse cultivation

In protected ground, it can be grown all year round. It is important that the temperature in the greenhouse does not fall below 16 degrees, and that artificial lighting of plants that have already sprouted is carried out with a lack of sunny days.

Before sowing in the greenhouse, you need to prepare the soil as follows:

loosening to a depth of 18 cm to completely clear it of weeds and residues of previous plants;
additional plowing after 2 weeks. This is necessary for the thorough removal of weeds, which as a result fall into the deep layers of the earth, where they will further form humus;
harrowing, which helps moisture to linger in the soil.

Seeds are sown on beds, which are located at a distance of 35-40 cm from each other. Planting holes should be no more than 2 cm deep. 2-3 seeds can be omitted in them. Between the holes you need to retreat 8 cm. Young shoots are thinned out after about a week.

Outdoor cultivation

In open ground, seeds are sown from mid-spring to almost the end of summer with an interval of 2 weeks. In the heat, in order to get a good harvest, it is necessary to choose a site with moderate shading for sowing. After all, arugula does not like too bright sun.

The sowing scheme for open ground is not too different from sowing in a greenhouse:

seeding depth - 1.5 cm;
between rows should be 40 cm;
the interval between adjacent plants is 5 cm.

If the seedlings turned out to be thickened, then during the appearance of two leaves, they should be thinned out.

Growing seedlings

Seeds in this case are sown to a depth of 1 cm in a glass (3-4 seeds each) or a pot, where 30-35 seeds are placed. After a few days, shoots appear. The grown seedlings are planted in the ground along with a clod of earth. The air temperature at this time should be at least 9 degrees. If frosts are expected, then young plants are covered with plastic containers at night, removing them in the morning.

Arugula on the windowsill

When growing plants on a windowsill or on a balcony in boxes, an area of 30 by 15 cm should be allocated for each bush. The depth of the box should not be less than 10 cm.

plant care

In eruk, mainly its green leaves are used, which must be cut off as soon as they grow to 10 cm. The greens are constantly updated due to this. If you let her grow more, then she becomes rough, tasteless. The appearance of new succulent leaves contributes to regular and abundant watering, especially in the heat. If this is not done, then they are very bitter.

Watering is carried out by spraying with the help of sprinklers. Long-term watering of row-spacings with a hose laid on the ground is also considered acceptable. These events are held in the morning or evening hours, when there is no heat. The earth between plants is regularly “fluffed up” for better penetration of moisture and air.

In addition, carry out a double dressing of seedlings. This requires nitrogen fertilizers (10 g per bucket of water), fermented chicken or cow droppings, diluted 10-15 times. Top dressing is carried out in conjunction with watering plants. Given that the ripening period of arugula is short, fertilizing with manure and other mineral fertilizers during its growth period is not done. Otherwise, the leaves will accumulate toxic substances.

Arugula: useful properties (video)

Use in cooking

Arugula is used in appetizers, salads, sauces, vegetable dishes, soups, side dishes, etc.

Arugula salad

A set of products: slightly salted fish - 100 grams, one tomato, red lettuce, a handful of arugula, a spoonful of vegetable oil, vinegar, salt and sugar (for marinade). First, pickle the onion for ten minutes. Then lay out in layers:

arugula;
tomatoes, cut into slices or rings;
onion rings are placed on them;
lastly lay out slices of fish;
all this is poured with marinade.

Arugula pasta

For her, you need 80 grams of arugula, a handful of nuts, 20 g of grated hard cheese, olive oil, a clove of garlic.

Arugula, cheese and nuts are crushed with a blender. The mixture is then salted, peppered and drizzled with oil.

Arugula pie

A set of products: shortbread dough - 250 g, 2 eggs, 100 g of cream, mozzarella, smoked brisket and hard cheese, 2 tomatoes, mustard, ground pepper, nutmeg.

Cooking technology:

the dough is laid out in a form covered with parchment paper, it is pierced with a fork and smeared with mustard;
chopped brisket, tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula are used as a filling;
it is sprinkled with grated cheese, pepper and nutmeg;
the cake tops off with a layer of whipped eggs;
it is baked for 40 minutes at a temperature of 210 degrees.

Protection against diseases and pests

Name	signs	Fortitude	Fighting methods
cabbage moth	eaten leaves	High	Digging the soil, collecting pupae. Processing with infusions of wormwood, potato and tomato tops, karbofos.
cruciferous fleas	Leaf damage	High	Traps, digging the soil, spraying with trichlormetaphos-3 emulsion.
Fungus Peronospora parasitica	Dark brown spots on leaves	Medium	Crop rotation, soil preparation, weed control
Fungus Fikarium oxisporum	Leaf chlorosis - turn yellow, dark stripes appear	Medium	Crop rotation, soil preparation, weed control

Arugula, indau, eruka are the same plant. It has long been known in many countries, where it is widely used in folk medicine, cooking, and cosmetology. It is easy to grow, it can be done even on the windowsill. A leafy vegetable grows quickly; on a garden plot, you can get several crops of it per season. And in the greenhouse, eruca is grown almost all year round. Once you get acquainted with this amazing healing plant, you will not be able to refuse it.

Arugula recipes (video)

The Italians and the French eat a lot of greens, so green grass, arugula, takes pride of place on their table. Its taste is special - with a slight spiciness, the taste of nuts and the aroma of mustard. For many residents of other countries, arugula is a valuable nutritious product, moreover, it is also inaccessible, since the cost of lettuce is an order of magnitude higher than classic parsley or dill. If you try, you can independently grow this spicy herb on your site. We will learn about the intricacies of growing and caring for arugula.

If we consider the cost of arugula as a valuable nutritious product with a lot of vitamins, then you can be very surprised. So, the Austrians have to pay about 1.5 euros for a bunch of greens. Arugula costs almost the same in the Italian markets. There are many names for this spicy herb, you can even get confused in them and not immediately understand what kind of spice we are talking about. The list is impressive: arugula is called overseas, gulyavnik, indau, visicaria and rocket salad. It turns out that these names were invented for a reason, in different countries they grow their own variety of herbs. Only 2 remain popular - this is the variety "Rococo" and "Poker", which are distinguished by large juicy dissected leaves and a special nutty taste. There are several other popular varieties of arugula, such as "Euphoria" and "Rocket". The leaves of these varieties are not as fragrant as they grow more in the wild as a weed. But even this does not prevent the use of grass for cooking.

The homeland of arugula is the southern part of Europe. The French and Italians especially appreciate this spicy herb, they add it to various dishes: they cook pasta, sauces, fresh salads, add it to pickles and pizza.

Useful properties of arugula

Arugula is especially valued for its unique unusual taste. The leaves of the plant are added to fresh salads, they give the dish juiciness and a light aroma. If you regularly eat arugula, you can strengthen the immune system, normalize metabolic processes in the body and even increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood. In addition, the grass contains many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that have a general strengthening effect on the whole body. It is not for nothing that the Italians and the French are so fond of adding arugula to many dishes - after all, this spice is considered an aphrodisiac, prolongs youth, removes toxins and prevents the development of cancer cells. In addition, by regularly eating arugula leaves, you can stop the processes of salt deposition in the body, get rid of bad cholesterol and even cheer you up.

Growing arugula

It is not at all necessary to buy salad in supermarkets, because you can grow arugula yourself in your summer cottage. By the way, when the season for collecting fresh leaves comes to an end, you can dry the grass and then use it in crushed form, adding it as a spice to any dish. In addition, crushed arugula helps to get rid of dry cough and is used as a mild natural diuretic. You need to take 1 tbsp. dry raw materials and pour a glass of boiling water. After that, the broth is poured into a glass container, closed tightly with a lid and infused for 20 minutes. Strained broth can be drunk immediately, three times a day before meals.

Since ancient times, people have used dry arugula seeds as a spice to give dishes a special smell, added lettuce seeds and pickles.

Arugula is easy to grow on its own, the plant is unpretentious, if you follow the rules for planting seeds and prepare the soil. So, arugula can be grown in a greenhouse from seeds or purchased ready-made seedlings and planted in the ground. It grows on any soil, however, in order to get delicious spicy greens, it is necessary to enrich the soil with nutrients.

How to grow arugula

Many summer residents are surprised why arugula grown in the beds does not taste the same as bought in a store?

We share the secrets of growing arugula from seeds:

To plant a green salad, you need to choose a well-lit place on the site.
Arugula grows well at a temperature of +18 ° C.
The plant loves coolness and moisture, and when it gets too hot, it is covered with abundant flowers.
After planting, we do not ignore the basic rule for growing any garden crops - weed control. From time to time it is necessary to weed the bed where the arugula grows.
Timely watering and loosening the soil is the key to a good harvest.
Pests rarely attack arugula, but butterfly larvae can eat delicious juicy leaves, so damaged leaves must be cut off so that the larvae do not spread further throughout the site.
Lettuce easily accumulates nitrates, so it is undesirable to fertilize the soil heavily, even with organic fertilizers.
Arugula will also grow in the shade, only the leaves will not be as dark green and tasty.
We provide regular watering to the plant so that the arugula is suitable for human consumption. If there is little moisture in the soil, then the leaves become bitter and rough. They should not be eaten fresh, only for adding to pickles.

Spicy grass grows well on neutral and slightly alkaline soils. If the soil is acidic, then the plant may not take root. This does not mean that you need to abandon the cultivation of arugula on such soils, it is enough to add a little lime to the ground or restore the acid-base balance of the soil with special fertilizers.

If you plant the seeds in the ground to a depth of half a centimeter, then you can get a good harvest. Moreover, it is advisable to plant the seeds of the plant in peat tablets in advance. Each small pot will require 2 to 4 seeds.

Seedlings should be planted in open ground directly in a glass. If several sprouts grow in one peat cup, you can separate them with scissors by cutting the cups into pieces. Planting in open ground is carried out together with a container - this will be a natural fertilizer for the soil.

Early planting dates for arugula are at the end of March or the first week of April. At this time, frost may be on the surface of the soil. To prevent the plants from dying, they can be covered with plastic cups or used plastic bottles can be adapted for this purpose. You need to cover the plants only at night, and free them from protection during the day so that the arugula gradually adapts to the cold. In general, it is believed that seedlings can withstand slight frosts, up to -5 o C, when the sprouts are already strong and well rooted.

We follow the landing rules:

We sow the arugula in rows so that there is a distance of approximately 30 cm between them.
The depth of sowing seeds is 1-1.5 cm. It is best to adapt a sickle ribbon for planting arugula, since the seeds are very small.
If you are used to sowing seeds in the standard way, then after germination it is necessary to thin out the sprouts in order to maintain a distance of 6-8 cm between plants. Then you can count not only on a rich harvest, but also on the special taste of arugula - nutty, with a point.
On the 5th day after planting, we expect the first shoots to appear. Outwardly, arugula looks like a radish. Special care during this period will not be required, only timely watering (if the soil is dry), thinning, loosening the soil and weed control.
As soon as the plant gets a little stronger and the first 2 leaves appear on the sprouts, you can start thinning.
Remember that arugula loves a lot of light and moisture, then the leaves will be tender and tasty. If there is a strong heat, and the plant does not have enough moisture, then it begins to bloom. During this active growth period, the leaves lose their nutritional value and become bitter.
Good precursors for growing lettuce are cucurbits, potatoes, tomatoes, and legumes. If last year you had a good potato harvest, then this spring you can plant arugula on the plot - the result will pleasantly surprise you. It is only important not to ignore the basic rule of care: weed control and timely watering.
Arugula needs to be watered correctly: organize drip irrigation or flooding when the hose is on the ground. So you save fragile plants from death.
The next time in this place you can sow arugula only after 3-4 years.
In hot weather, it is better not to plant arugula, as the leaves will not be so tasty and juicy - all the forces of the plant are directed to flowering. If there is no choice, but you really want to try growing arugula yourself, then choose a place in the shade for planting in the summer.

Growing arugula is an easy task. 3-4 weeks after planting, the plant begins to ripen, during this period we begin to harvest. Gently tear off with your hands or cut off with a knife the lower juicy dark green leaves. They are very fragile, so you need to pick the lettuce with extreme care so as not to damage the next crop of young leaves.

Rules for the care of arugula and harvesting

As mentioned earlier, the plant loves moisture very much, so do not forget to provide regular watering. When arugula receives enough light and moisture, the leaves develop a delicate flavor.

Top dressing is allowed, but only very carefully, as the lettuce takes a lot of nutrients from the soil. So, you can feed young plants with nitrogen, chicken manure or mullein solution (1:1, 1:10 and 1:15). Do not add fresh manure to the soil, as then the leaves accumulate nitrates.

Arugula ripens from the moment the seeds are planted, after 3-5 weeks. To consistently eat fresh arugula leaves, you need to sow new seeds every 2 weeks. As soon as the plant throws arrows and enters the flowering stage, it is necessary to cut or pull out the bushes, you can leave only a few to collect seeds for the next planting.

It is undesirable to delay the harvest, as the leaves outgrow and become bitter, the taste of such a salad deteriorates. It is necessary to cut the leaves regularly in order to constantly renew the bush and get tender leaves.

For food, arugula is preferably used fresh, adding to salads, unsweetened pastries, soups, sauces and other dishes.

You can store fresh arugula leaves in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or in foil for no more than 3 days.

How to grow arugula on a windowsill

Arugula is one of the few green plants that is easy to grow. You can sow arugula on your own all year round: in the summer at their summer cottage, in the winter - in a pot on the windowsill. The main thing that needs to be provided to the plant for full growth is a lot of light.

On sale you can see a lot of arugula seeds. You need to know that an adapted annual variety of lettuce, Poker, is suitable for growing at home. It gives a good harvest already on the 20th day after planting the seeds.

Rules for growing arugula in pots:

for planting spicy greens, you can purchase special boxes for seedlings, sow seeds in pots, or even adapt milk or juice bags;
it is advisable to purchase soil ready-made in a specialized store, or mix part of the store soil with soil brought from the garden;
the optimum temperature for growing lettuce is +18 ° C;
arugula loves a lot of light, so you need to put the seed boxes on the sunny side;
seeds can not be soaked before planting;
we do not bury the seeds strongly in the soil, we cover them with a thin layer of earth from above. You can cover the box with a film for several days until the first shoots appear;
as moisture is absorbed, we provide watering to the plants. We water only from a spray bottle so as not to damage the young sprouts;
seeds can be planted on a ribbon or sown in the traditional way. In a week, you can expect the first shoots. After 10 days, you can start thinning seedlings. It is desirable that a distance of at least 5 cm be observed between plants;
in a month, providing timely watering, you can start harvesting the first crop.

This is what a weekly seedling looks like:

You need to be patient a little so that the plant gets stronger, and only after a month we cut off the first young leaves. See how arugula grows in a regular cup. So you can also plant seeds, but it is best for the plant to develop fully. To do this, you need to ensure soil drainage.

You can learn more about the benefits of arugula from this video:

The Mediterranean is considered the birthplace of arugula. This spice was used in ancient Rome, and later it was willingly used by culinary specialists of French and English cuisines. The Egyptians prefer adding the herb to bean dishes and salads, while the Italians use arugula leaves to top pizza, risotto, and salads.

How to grow arugula on the windowsill, we will consider in detail below. Eruka, indau, caterpillar, walker - these are all the names of the annual arugula plant.

Plant varieties also differ in appearance. Some of them have yellow flowers and oblong toothed leaves, others with white flowers and dissected leaves. The whole plant is used for food: seeds, flowers and leaves.

Beneficial features

Healing qualities are preserved if eruku is torn into small pieces, and not cut with a knife.

Arugula leaves contain a lot of dietary fiber, vitamins, essential oils, trace elements, citric and malic acids, tannins, pectin compounds, and antioxidants.
Thanks to this chemical composition, it improves bowel function, normalizes metabolism, strengthens the immune system, reduces inflammation, strengthens blood vessels, has a positive effect on male potency, and slows down the development of cancerous tumors.
Arugula leaf salad is included in the menu by those who decide to lose weight. The grass is low-calorie, contains a lot of fiber and vitamins, the feeling of hunger disappears for a long time.
Arugula is a substitute for salt in the preparation of many dishes.
The use of indau on fasting days normalizes metabolism, removes toxins and toxins.
The herb leaf oil reduces brittle nails and softens the skin.
It helps with problems with potency in men.
Decoction or decoction hair masks reduce hair breakage and give it strength and natural shine.

Medicinal properties

Due to the unique composition, indau is also used as an additional remedy in the treatment of certain diseases. Properties:

promotes wound healing;
strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
normalizes pressure;
reduces cholesterol;
improves metabolism;
regulates the water-salt balance;
raises hemoglobin;
has a sedative and calming effect;
reduces blood sugar;
helps the body fight infections.

Harmful properties

Unfortunately, arugula, in addition to benefits, can also harm the body. Due to the content of phytoncides in the grass, severe allergic reactions are possible.

You should not use eruka for diseases:

liver;
gastritis;
urolithiasis;
gout;
prick.

Contraindicated in India and pregnant women.

How to grow arugula on the balcony?

All year round you can grow lettuce leaves on a glazed balcony if the temperature on it is more than 10 degrees. It grows well in such conditions. For planting, you need to take a container, box or pot and sow the seeds to a depth of 1.5 cm. To properly cultivate a plant on a balcony, you need to know how to grow arugula on a windowsill.

Indau has a high, so when planting, you should not lay them out often. Shoots appear on the 5th day. Seedling method is used to save seeds. Plantings are also made more thickened, in order to subsequently thin them out and make a salad. Harvest ripens in a month.

When growing grass on a balcony, it is important to remember:

do not use fertilizers, nitrates are quickly absorbed into the greens;
growing arugula requires moderate watering; excess water makes the leaves bitter;
make the distance between plants 8 cm, then the taste will improve;
it will grow well if the balcony faces the sunny side;
the best temperature for growing is 18 degrees;
The leaves are ready to eat when the bush reaches a height of 10 cm.

How to grow arugula at home on a windowsill

Any kind of grass is taken as planting material. Early-ripening varieties will please you with a harvest in 20 days, and mid-ripening and late - in 30-40 days, respectively.

In boxes or trays, make a drainage layer of pebbles, broken bricks or expanded clay. Take the earth slightly alkaline or neutral. Soil calcined at a high temperature from under pumpkin or legume plants, taken from a summer cottage, is ideal. Alternatively, you can use boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. After disinfection, the earth should stand for 10-14 days. You can prepare the soil yourself, for this, in proportions of 2: 1: 2, they take turf land, sand and humus.

On moistened and slightly compacted soil, make rows or small holes. Put the seeds in them at a distance of three centimeters and sprinkle with a layer of earth one centimeter.

Care, harvest

Watered with a spray bottle so as not to erode the soil. After sowing, the boxes are covered with polyethylene film and placed in the dark. The optimum temperature at which the cultivation of arugula is considered ideal is 18 degrees. When the first shoots appear, usually on the 5th-6th day, the film coating is removed. Weak and diseased plants are thrown away. Trays are transferred to a well-lit window sill and moved closer to the glass. Grass is a photophilous plant. If the windows face the north side, then they make backlighting from fluorescent lamps, which are placed at a height of 60 cm. Watered once every two days. Feeding is not required. The eruca plant is very delicate, so it should be protected from drafts and do not open the windows on the windows where the boxes are located.

In about a month, juicy greens with an unusual taste will appear in your kitchen. Leaves are cut from a height of 10 cm. The size of the leaves matters, since small leaves contain a large amount of bitterness.

"How to grow arugula on the windowsill in winter?" - fans of this greenery ask a question. The only difference in growing grass in winter is the extension of daylight hours by 4-6 hours.

It's so easy to grow eruka at home. In the refrigerator, greens do not last longer than six days. For long-term storage, it is washed, dried and frozen in the freezer. There will always be fresh greens on the table if you plant indau in small volumes every two weeks.

Pests and diseases

How to grow arugula on the windowsill in order to use its properties to promote health and protect yourself from diseases? It is necessary to follow certain rules for caring for her.

Indau contains a large amount of essential oils. No pests affect her. The smell of essential oils will scare away harmful insects from other plants that are next to it. But it is not protected from fungal diseases that affect the roots due to high soil moisture. The disease manifests itself by wilting of the stems, and white bubbles appear on the roots. The affected greens are destroyed, the disease is incurable.

Trying to experiment

Increasingly, you can see in houses how arugula grows on the windowsill; growing from seeds does not require special conditions for harvesting. This amazing plant feels equally good not only on balconies and window sills, but also in open ground.

After the flowering of the eruca, seeds are formed that are sown in the soil and give new shoots the next year, so there is no need to plant it annually in summer cottages. You can try to leave the seeds, wait until the arugula sprouts on the windowsill, growing from seeds in this case will not require any effort at all.

Cultivation of indau does not cause difficulties due to the unpretentiousness of the plant. Greens have a refined and spicy taste, which in a different way reveals the possibilities and subtleties of well-known products. How to grow arugula on the windowsill so that the green garden is always at hand is described in this article.