Arugula care and planting in open ground. Details about plum

Arugula contains iodine and a balanced set of vitamins. It is useful for people trying to lose weight, as it creates a feeling of fullness with a minimum of calories. Arugula increases iron levels in the blood and removes cholesterol. Recently, this green with a very specific taste has become more popular due to the fact that it is widely used in Italian dishes.

Landing

Planting arugula begins with purchasing seeds. Anyone who wants to buy arugula seeds can expect a surprise - in Russia, arugula is called indau. Under this name, this crop is included in the State Register of Varieties.

• Rococo - height 12-18 cm, period from germination to harvest 3 weeks;
• Solitaire is early ripening, productive, one bush is enough for a family;
• Corsica - bush height up to 60 cm, grows for more than a month;
• Sicily – late-ripening, productive;
• Poker is a low bush up to 20 cm high with graceful notched leaves; the harvest can be harvested 25 days after germination.

In the open ground

Sowing arugula does not require any hassle. It has large seeds, similar to radish seeds. There are no difficulties with their embedding into the soil. Seeds are sown in spring or late summer.

There is no need to grow seedlings; you can sow directly into the ground.

To provide yourself with greens for a long time, seeds are sown every 1.5-2 weeks. In mid-summer, arugula is not sown, since plants planted in July quickly bolt. In July, you can try to sow indau in a shady place.

Sowing is carried out in furrows of arbitrary length, laid at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other. The gap between seeds should be 8-10 cm. Dense planting will lead to a decrease in yield. The seeds are buried 1 cm.

On the windowsill

Arugula is an early ripening green, so it is suitable for growing at home on a windowsill. In the apartment it is sown between March and October. The culture is shade-tolerant and grows well even on northern windows.

Seeds can be sown in ordinary flower pots with a depth of 15 cm. The container is filled with universal soil from the store, spilled with a strong solution of potassium permanganate and the seeds are sown to a depth of 5 mm. To speed up germination, cover the pot with film and place it in a warm place. After 3 weeks, you will be able to serve fresh, aromatic herbs.

In the greenhouse

Arugula grows quickly in greenhouses and greenhouses and can become overgrown, so it needs to be cut young and often. Greens are sown in closed ground three times: in early spring, early June and early September. The soil temperature should be no lower than 18C.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 1.5 cm, arranged in rows. After final thinning, there should be 10 cm between plants in the row.

Shoots appear in the greenhouse a week after sowing. The shoots will require watering on hot days and regular weeding and loosening. At the beginning of the growing season, you can carry out one fertilizing with a nitrophoska solution.

The greens are removed when the rosette develops. Leaves are cut at soil level, starting with the tallest and strongest. The more often you harvest, the faster new shoots will grow. Plants are uprooted when flower stems begin to emerge, making room for the next crop.

Arugula is an annual plant up to 40 cm high. It has fleshy leaves, bare or covered with hairs, depending on the variety. Indau differs from other garden plants in its peculiar smell, expressed to a greater or lesser extent. The aroma and taste of arugula depends on the variety and growing conditions.

Arugula is an unpretentious, shade-tolerant, cold-resistant plant, the cultivation of which is accessible to a completely inexperienced summer resident. It is part of the cabbage family and looks very similar to radishes. And how the indau radish blooms when the days become long. The crop is cultivated for its leaves. The lower leaves of arugula are dissected, similar in shape to a lyre. The upper ones are more solid.

Arugula seeds are shaped into fruit pods. The seeds ripen in July. They can be collected to sow next year.

The culture does not like heat and drought. The more you water the indau, the juicier and fleshier the leaves will be. In the heat, greens become coarser, tasteless and bitter.

Caring for plantings is simple. It is necessary to loosen the row spacing from time to time and water the beds more often, preventing the leaves from drying out.

Like any greenery, arugula quickly accumulates nitrates, so you should not use nitrogen fertilizers when growing it. It is enough to feed the bushes with mullein solution in the 1-2 leaf phase, adding a little wood ash. This organic complex is enough for the plants to develop well.

Arugula is a plant of the cruciferous family. Its leaves can be used for food 25-30 days after planting, and if you sow the seeds several times a season, the harvest can be harvested all summer.

Most often, arugula leaves are added to salads or served as a separate green. In addition, to give an unusual piquant taste, they are used to prepare omelettes, pasta, pizza and other dishes.

Arugula is an unpretentious plant, but you can get tender greens without bitterness only if you follow the growing technology.

Choosing a place to grow

In order for the arugula foliage to be tender, with a pronounced taste and not bitter, you must approach the choice of planting site responsibly. It is necessary that the area allocated for growing greenery be illuminated by the sun in the morning and evening hours. In the midday heat, diffused light should fall on the plants, even a light shadow is allowed. From the hot rays of the sun, the leaves burn out, become coarse and release a flower arrow ahead of time.

The soil must be fertile, loose and permeable. Neutral or slightly acidic soil is best. Planting in acidic soil is undesirable - plant growth slows down and the taste of the leaves becomes worse. Lime or dolomite flour is added to such soil.

Undesirable predecessors in the garden are any plants of the cruciferous family. They take the same nutrients from the soil, suffer from the same diseases, and are attacked by the same pests, the larvae of which live in the soil for a long time. Arugula cannot be grown in one place for two years in a row. The earth must rest for at least three years.

It is advisable to prepare the bed in the fall - dig up the area, remove weed roots and add well-rotted manure or compost.

Excess fertilizer when growing arugula is unacceptable. Its leaves tend to accumulate chemicals, and eating such greens will not be beneficial.

Timing and scheme of sowing seeds

Arugula is a cold-resistant plant. The first sowing of seeds in open ground is carried out when the air temperature reaches +7-12°C. Typically this period falls in mid-April. Seeds germinate quickly, after 5-8 days. Depending on the variety, the crop is ready to be harvested 3-4 weeks after the shoots appear.

To ensure continuous harvesting, sowing is carried out in stages throughout the summer with an interval of two weeks. The last planting takes place in mid-August. If the summer is hot and dry, then you should not plant arugula during these months - the shoots will quickly sprout, which will affect the taste of the greens.

In cold regions, seeds are sown in late April or early May. Crops should be covered with plastic film or agrofibre. After the first sprouts appear, the film is removed for a day so that the tender leaves do not burn. The non-woven agrofibre can not be removed - condensation does not collect under it, and air circulates well through the micro-holes.

Arugula can be planted in containers and grown on a windowsill all year round. An important condition for this is good lighting, shading from bright sun, ventilation and maintaining humidity.

Cultivation is carried out in a pre-prepared bed. It is desirable that its width be 70 cm. Three grooves are made on it - at a distance of 10 cm from the edge and 25 cm from each other. The depth of the furrow is 1-1.5 cm. Its bottom is compacted, watered and seeds are sown at a distance of 3 cm from each other. Cover with soil and water from a watering can with a fine strainer.

5 days after the shoots appear, they are thinned out. The distance between plants in the same row should be at least 10 cm.

When grown in a container, sow in one line, and you can leave a distance of 5 cm between plants.

Rules of care

Caring for arugula is not difficult, but it must be done constantly. The main part of care is watering.

Insufficient watering affects the quality and taste of greens:

• the leaves become coarser, lose their taste, and acquire bitterness;
• flowering begins ahead of schedule;
• green growth stops.

Usually they water every other day, but in hot weather the moisture evaporates quickly; the frequency of watering is increased to one or two times a day. Arugula responds well to watering using the sprinkling method, but with this method the greens are splashed with soil. To avoid this, mulch the soil between the rows.

Arugula is convenient to grow in small beds with sides. In this case, watering is carried out by filling the bed with water - it does not spread and is well absorbed into the ground.

Between waterings, the soil must be loosened and all weeds removed - they are even pulled out from between rows, because they suppress the growth of arugula, which can cause it to die. Mulching eliminates the need for weeding and loosening, which makes caring for the garden bed less labor-intensive.

Fertilizers are not applied during the growing season. One addition of organic matter when preparing the bed is enough. Additional fertilizing will only do harm; excess chemical compounds will accumulate in the greenery.

Diseases and pests

Arugula is disease resistant, but is sometimes infected with fusarium and downy mildew. Treatment of diseases is ineffective, so the affected plants are destroyed and the bed is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or a pesticide. A quarantine is carried out at this place and for several years no plants that are susceptible to the same diseases are planted.

Frequent pests are cruciferous flea beetles and cabbage moths. Cruciferous flea beetles usually attack plantings in dry, hot weather with insufficient watering. They chew holes in the foliage, making it unsuitable for collection. The best way to avoid pest attacks is to grow arugula under thin cover. To do this, install arcs of any material over the bed and throw thin white agrofibre over them. Open the shelter only for watering and cutting leaves.

They do it the same way - they grow greens under cover. You can reduce the likelihood of butterflies appearing by regularly mowing the grass next to your garden beds. It is not advisable to use insecticides.

Harvesting

The greens are collected until the plant produces a peduncle. The largest lower leaves are cut off first, and the rest are allowed to grow. The peduncle can be removed as soon as it appears - this will prolong the period of foliage growth.

If you need a lot of greenery at once, then do not touch the rosette until the arrow begins to appear. In this case, the leaves will be larger, with a pronounced piquant taste, but the structure of the greenery will become coarser. When the peduncle begins to grow, the entire plant is uprooted. It is important not to miss this moment.

Results

To prevent arugula greens from losing their unique taste, it is important to follow three growing rules:

1. choose a place with light shade;
2. keep the soil moist;
3. do not be late with the harvest date.

The harvested crop can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film, for up to two weeks.

Arugula is a very popular salad plant these days, with a spicy, spicy taste and slight sourness. Its advantages include not only a pleasant aroma with hints of nuts, pepper and mustard, but also a rich composition of vitamins and microelements. This “green pharmacy” is quite easy to grow yourself, after being armed with some knowledge.

Arugula is a herbaceous plant from 40 to 60 cm in height with a branched stem and pinnately dissected leaves. In addition to the above name, there are others in the specialized literature - Caterpillar sativum, Indau sativum, Eruka sativum. This plant belongs to the cabbage family. The inflorescence in the form of a rare brush is the same in color as that of close relatives - radish, radish, daikon.

Flowering occurs in late May or early June. Continues for a month. The seeds, ranging in size from 1 to 3 mm, are formed inside the fruit pod, characteristic of the entire family. One pod can contain up to 30 light brown seeds. The structure of the root is taproot.

There are few varieties of arugula. They differ in terms of ripening.

Early ripening: “Rocket”, “Olivetta”, “Poker”, “Spartak”, “Victoria”, “Taganskaya Semko”. Ripening period is 20-25 days. Productivity is within -1.3-1.5 kg/m2.

Mid-season: “Sicily”, “Wonder”, “Cupid’s Arrows”, “Solitaire”, “Emerald”, “Corsica”, “Grace”. Full maturation of deciduous rosettes occurs approximately on the 35th day. Varieties of this group are distinguished by a richer taste and a relatively long shelf life. The average yield is higher than that of early ripening varieties - 2-2.5 kg/m2

The arugula variety “Solitaire” deserves special attention, which can be grown as a two-year crop. In the first year, the leaves will reach full maturity on the 35-40th day, and after wintering they will begin to grow with the onset of the first warmth. Arugula leaves are often used fresh, so it is important to consider that the younger they are, the more tender and pleasant the taste.

When preparing dishes, arugula is torn by hand; when it comes into contact with a knife, the leaves darken. With age, the leaves become coarser, acquire sharpness and bitterness. The seeds are also used in food as a seasoning for preservation. They can easily replace mustard seeds as they contain a large amount of mustard oil.

Video “Useful properties”

From the video you will learn about the beneficial properties of spicy herbs.

Growing in open ground

Growing arugula is not difficult, given its unpretentiousness. One of the important points is the choice of site for planting. The soil should be neutral with a weak alkaline reaction. Arugula will not grow in acidic soils. But it will give a good harvest on limed soil with a high calcium content.

The culture is light-loving, but does very well in the lacy shade of tall plants or with partial protection from hot midday rays. In the dense shade, arugula will grow stunted, and the taste will leave much to be desired.

For a good and healthy harvest, it is very important to choose the right predecessors, because on our plots we grow many plants of the cabbage family, which also share common diseases and pests. Therefore, you should not plant arugula after cabbage, radishes, radishes, daikon, and turnips. It is best to use beds where carrots, pumpkins, potatoes, legumes and tomatoes used to grow.

Arugula is a frost-resistant crop and can withstand temperatures as low as -7 degrees. But if this period is quite long, the plant is inhibited and leaf growth stops. Seeds are sown in open ground at the end of March - beginning of April. Planting depth is 1.5 cm. The grooves are placed every 40 cm. The distance between the seeds is 15-20 cm. If the forecast promises frost, and the seedlings are already turning green, you can cover them overnight with caps from plastic bottles cut in half. To obtain a conveyor belt of greens, you can plant arugula throughout the summer; the last time the seeds are sown in open ground is in the first ten days of August.

To get early greenery, you can plant arugula seedlings. In this case, seed sowing begins in early March. You will need a box at least 10 cm deep and soil. The latter can be taken from the bed where further growth is expected. The seeds, previously disinfected for 2 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, are placed in a box filled with soil and sprinkled with a layer of 1-1.5 cm.

Picking for seedlings is not necessary, so the seeds should be placed at a distance of 10 cm from each other. The box is installed in a warm, well-lit place. The emergence of seedlings should be expected already on the 5th day. Care includes regular watering and loosening.

Planting care

Along with high nutritional value, unpretentiousness is a valuable quality that salad has. Arugula has simple planting and care, which can be described in two words - watering and loosening. Fertilizing this plant is strictly prohibited due to its tendency to accumulate nitrates.

If the plants in a row are planted densely, then they need to be broken through, leaving 30 cm between neighbors. Seedlings are also planted at the same distance. You need to water frequently - once every two days. If there is a lack of moisture, the leaves will become bitter. You can start harvesting when the bushes grow to 10 cm.

Growing at home

In winter, it is easy to grow this greenery even on a windowsill. It is better to take the pot deeper than for seedlings. Ten centimeters is the minimum required depth. The distance between the seeds also needs to be increased to 15-20 cm. The rest of the process is the same as in the case of growing seedlings. The range of acceptable temperatures is quite wide - from 10 to 25 degrees. Therefore, you can even place a pot with a plant on an insulated balcony.
The main thing is that the plant receives the maximum amount of sunlight. Care is the same as in the garden - frequent, abundant watering and loosening. It is better to remove the resulting flowers so that the leaves do not age longer. With proper care, the plant will delight you for a month and a half.

Growing in a greenhouse

And in a greenhouse, arugula will not cause much trouble. Considering the fast ripening period and fairly high price, this crop can bring good profits. Plant arugula in the shady side of the greenhouse so that the tender leaves do not get sunburned. Since every centimeter of space in a greenhouse is precious, its plantings can be combined with cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.

Pest Control

Arugula has few pests; most cannot tolerate the essential oils in which it is so rich. There are several main enemies - cruciferous flea beetle and cabbage moth. For the first, dusting with red pepper, tobacco dust or wood ash will help. Treating cabbage moths with infusions of wormwood, potato or tomato tops will help.

In hot weather with high humidity, crops can be affected by fungal diseases - downy mildew and fusarium. They appear as dark spots on the leaves and stems. Treatment is useless, since fungicides cannot be used.

Plants must be removed. Prevention consists of proper crop rotation, timely thinning and weed control.

Video “Growing”

From the video you will learn step-by-step instructions for growing arugula.

Until recently, arugula, a herbaceous plant from the Brassica family, was considered a Mediterranean curiosity. However, the unfamiliar crop, which looks very much like a weed, quickly gained popularity among both large restaurateurs and ordinary consumers. Its feathery leaves, which have a refreshing nutty taste, are great for preparing vitamin-rich salads, and also add a delicious taste to cottage cheese and cheese snacks, bean dishes, potatoes and pasta, and the seeds are used to make mustard.

In addition to the taste benefits, one cannot fail to mention the beneficial properties of arugula. Due to the high content of valuable micro- and macroelements, the culture has antibacterial, antiscorbutic, diuretic properties, and is also considered a strong aphrodisiac. It is often included in the diet of nursing mothers to enhance lactation. Regular consumption of arugula dishes helps improve digestion, which allows it to be used in the treatment and prevention of obesity.

Possessing an undemanding nature, the crop is perfectly adapted to the climate conditions of the middle zone, so growing it yourself is not at all difficult. A few useful tips will help you avoid common mistakes during the cultivation process.

Selection and preparation of a site for planting

To grow arugula, you should choose open areas, moderately illuminated by the sun. This unpretentious plant has no special requirements for its cultivation site, but in strong sun its leaves become hard and bitter, and in the shade they lose color and aroma. The best predecessor crops for arugula in accordance with the rules of crop rotation are potatoes, pumpkin and legumes.

They begin to prepare the area for arugula in the fall. The culture prefers fertile, well-drained soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, so if they become acidic, it will be necessary to add slaked lime or dolomite flour for alkalization. The plot is dug up well before winter, adding for every m? a bucket of old peat or humus. The use of mineral fertilizers is excluded: arugula tends to accumulate nitrates in the leaves. It is also not recommended to add fresh organic matter - in this case, the greens acquire an unpleasant specific taste. To plant arugula, low beds about 1–1.5 m wide are poured, which, after the snow melts, are carefully raked, loosening the soil and breaking up large lumps of earth.

Growing seedlings

• The prepared substrate is poured into a low container.
• Arugula seeds are laid out on the surface of pre-moistened soil every 1.5–2 cm and covered with a layer of sand about 1 cm thick.
• The container is placed on a light windowsill. There is no need to cover the crops with film.
• Arugula grows quickly and amicably: the first shoots appear in 3–5 days, and after 2–3 weeks the grown bushes will be ready to be transferred to the garden bed. During this time, the seedlings must be watered regularly and abundantly.

It is worth noting that sowing arugula seeds can be done in open ground under a film. However, in this case, the leaves for cutting will grow later and the bushes will not grow as powerful and viable as when planted as seedlings.

Transplantation into open ground

You can begin transferring seedlings into open ground when the first pair of true leaves forms on the seedlings. The simple transplant process consists of the following steps:

• The surface of the bed is moistened abundantly shortly before work begins.
• Seedlings are planted at intervals of 8–10 cm, keeping a distance between rows of about 30–35 cm. The earthen ball is not disturbed during transplantation.

Frost-resistant arugula does not need permanent shelter; it can successfully withstand temperatures down to -7° C. To protect against serious return frosts, seedlings are covered with plastic bottles cut in half at night. At zero temperatures, shelters are removed.

Rules of care

• The crop makes the most serious demands on watering. It is recommended to moisten the soil under the plants frequently and abundantly - every 2 days, and in extreme heat - daily. Due to lack of moisture, the greens become coarse and very bitter; in this case, they can be used for canning vegetables; they are not suitable for fresh consumption.
• To prevent fungal diseases, plantings are regularly weeded, combining the procedure with loosening the soil between the rows.
• Arugula does not need fertilizing with fertilizers. To increase soil fertility and retain moisture between the rows, you can add a little humus or old peat several times a season.

With proper care, the first greens can be harvested 20–25 days after planting.

Harvest and storage

Arugula leaves are cut off as they grow. Greens aged 30–50 days have the greatest nutritional value. To continuously obtain green mass, a stepwise cultivation method is used: seeds are sown throughout the season with an interval of 25–35 days. It is recommended to store cut arugula in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for no longer than a week. To keep the leaves fresh longer, they are sprinkled with cold water and tied in a plastic bag.

In the autumn-winter period, it is possible to successfully cultivate arugula at home, which will allow you to include original Mediterranean dishes in your diet all year round.

Until recently, arugula was considered an ordinary wild plant. About ten years ago they began to grow it for production purposes. An annual herbaceous plant native to northern Africa, it grows in its original form in Asia, Europe, India, and the mountainous regions of Russia, Ukraine, and the Caucasus.

Description and beneficial properties of arugula

Arugula (Caterpillar sativum, Indau sativum, Eruka sativum) is a plant of the Brassica family. The growing season lasts only a year (sometimes two), reaches a height of 30-60 cm. The stem is straight, with many branches, the leaves are fleshy, rounded. The green part of the plant has a specific smell.

It blooms in May/July, bears fruit in July/August, the inflorescence forms an elongated raceme, the flower has four petals. It is painted milky, white or bright yellow; there are purple veins along the perimeter of the petals. Ripe fruits resemble a sword-shaped pod. The seeds in the pod are arranged in two rows, oval, and light brown in color.

Why do many people strive grow arugula? The plant has many beneficial properties. Fresh green leaves are used in salads, many essential oils are extracted from the seeds, and the flowers have an antibacterial effect. The main component of the seeds is mustard oil, a number of acids (erucic, linoleic, linolenic, oleic and others).

When used raw as food, the caterpillar produces a diuretic effect and improves the functioning of the digestive system. In women, the plant enhances lactogenic function. In the Caucasus, arugula was taken as a cure for scurvy.

Scientists have noticed that eating arugula during type II diabetes eases the course of the disease, normalizes blood sugar levels and regulates metabolism.

It has a beneficial effect on vision, thanks to zeaxanthin and lutein, which is the best prevention of cataracts. Research is actively being conducted on the ability of a plant to change the structure of a cell from harmful to healthy (oncology).

Growing arugula from seeds

Growing arugula from seeds- not a labor-intensive process at all. Several harvests can be harvested during a season. The most useful, valuable and ripened leaves are obtained starting from the 20th day of the growing season.

The sowing period is outdoors from April to August. If you don’t want to part with your favorite plant in winter, then arugula you can do great grow right on windowsill.

The caterpillar does not like acidic soils; it is better for it to select soil with neutral acidity. As a last resort, soil with a weak acidity or alkaline reaction is suitable.

Planting arugula and care in open ground

Grow arugula at home will not be difficult. The plant is unpretentious, germination is excellent, the growing season is short, the harvest can be obtained several times.

Arugula loves light; it is better to choose open, not shaded areas for planting. The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. To normalize acidity, add dolomite powder or lime.

The looseness of the soil is also important, so large lumps are broken up and raked several times over the surface. Carry out regular weed control.

Shallow grooves are made in the soil (about 10-15 mm), a gap of 15-30 cm is maintained between the rows. The grooves are well shed with water, and the seeds are planted at a distance of 3-10 cm from each other.

Sprinkle the rows with loose soil. The seeds are sown when the soil temperature reaches +1 °C, not lower. The first shoots will appear in about a week.

Arugula is demanding when it comes to watering, especially in the second half of summer. The soil should not be allowed to dry out; the plant will lose its ability to grow and develop normally.

In hot summers, water in the morning and evening, after heavy rain - every other day. They feed the soil only with organic fertilizer, and categorically refuse chemical ones. The caterpillar, like all cabbage plants, tends to accumulate nitrates.

Growing arugula in a greenhouse will bring a lot of fresh herbs to every table at the end of winter. If you sow in February, then by March 8 you can please the ladies with a super healthy salad using arugula.

Types and varieties of arugula

The most popular and early varieties of arugula include:

* Poker. This variety is annual, but can produce several harvests per season, reaching a height of 18 cm. After germination, the leaves are edible already on the 20-25th day. They have a pleasant aroma and slightly mustard taste. It is not recommended to sprinkle lemon juice or vinegar on salads; the plant will lose its taste.

* Arugula Taganskaya. Gardeners plant this early and cold-resistant variety in greenhouses. It has elongated leaves, with narrow and cut edges. Can be eaten on the 25th day of the growing season. Has strong antibacterial properties.

* Rococo. An early variety, the leaves are very different in appearance from their relatives; they have a round, wide shape. Productivity reaches the highest levels compared to others. It has a pleasant taste and aroma.

If you want grow perennial arugula, then for this it is best to choose the Solitaire variety. He, like all others, can produce several harvests in one season.

In the second year it does not require additional sowing. The first greenery will delight you already when the soil warms up above +1 °C. It has the largest amount of vitamins and acids.

It is important to remember that cut arugula should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for no more than a week. Growing a plant For salad, you should know that it goes well with absolutely all ingredients. Loves sunflower and olive oil.

Diseases and pests of arugula

Common diseases of arugula include fungal ones. Dark brown spots appear on the leaves, and black threads are observed along the vascular system of the plant. Leaves may lose their rich green color and turn yellow.

Weeds often become carriers of fungi, so it is important to keep the area clean, systematically change crop rotation, and monitor the acidity of the soil. The most well-known pests are cruciferous midges. Since arugula produces a lot of essential oils, other harmful insects “bypass” it.