Greetings, friends!

Arugula leaf lettuce has recently become increasingly popular. Adding this greenery to your favorite dishes gives them a special charm and indescribable sophistication. Before I tell you about how to grow arugula on the windowsill, I will briefly describe this plant.

Arugula is a plant of the cabbage family, annual, reaching a height of up to half a meter. Seeds are added in the manufacture of mustard, and juicy green leaves fit perfectly into the recipe of many soups, stews, traditional and exotic salads, as well as meat dishes.

Beneficial features

The fragrant leaves contain a lot of useful phytonutrients, including B vitamins, ascorbic acid, minerals (macro and micro elements), flavonoids, pectin compounds, tannins, dietary fiber (fiber), citric and malic acids, steroids, volatile essential oils, antioxidants, mustard oil.

In addition, arugula is a source of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, thanks to which the level of dangerous cholesterol in the blood is effectively reduced and the body utilizes decay products and toxic substances. The inclusion of arugula in the daily menu and adding to your favorite dishes is the prevention of atherosclerosis and other serious diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Showing diuretic, antiseptic and antimicrobial properties, arugula activates the digestive processes, stimulates appetite and helps in the absorption of biologically active compounds in the intestines, and also supplies useful nutrients to cells and organs.

How to grow arugula on your own windowsill

Planting containers and soil

The plant grows equally well in wooden boxes, and in plastic trays, and in flowerpots. The soil should be chosen either neutral or slightly alkaline, so the use of garden soil is only possible if it meets this characteristic. In case of high acidity of the soil, it can be fertilized with lime. Ideal conditions for the development and growth of a plant are provided by land taken after growing either crops on it. In order not to bring pathogens with the ground, the soil should be calcined in the oven for about half an hour.

You can independently prepare the soil mixture according to the following formula: humus, sand, soddy land (2: 1: 2). It is advisable to buy ready-made soil in a specialized store, as long as it is not acidic (the presence of peat is unacceptable).

A drainage layer (broken brick, expanded clay, pebbles) of about 2-3 cm should be poured into the growing container to drain excess moisture. Make sure that there are drainage holes in the pots (boxes).

planting material

Poker is considered the best early ripe variety of arugula. This variety gives its first harvest of usable leaves after 3 weeks. The Rococo variety can be cut in a month, and the mid-ripening varieties Rocket, Sicily, Corsica will delight you with fresh leaves 35-38 days after planting.

Lighting and watering

The place for growing arugula should be well lit, as this plant is very photophilous. If the window sill with a mini-garden broken on it does not face south, then artificial lighting should be created, for example, from fluorescent lamps located above the plantings at a height of about 60 cm. Greenery should also be illuminated in cloudy weather. And in winter (December-February), it is advisable to extend daylight hours by at least 4 hours.

Sowing and care

Getting uniform shoots of greens is quite simple using surface sowing. To do this, the seeds are scattered on lightly compacted moistened soil, and then sprinkled with a centimeter layer of earth.

The plant loves moisture, but in moderation. After sowing, it is advisable to cover the planting container with a film (glass) and place it in a dark place. The first shoots appear after 5-6 days. The film is then removed, and the box (pot) is put in a permanent place. Watering is carried out once every two days.

Rucola grows quite quickly. Approximately 8-10 days after the appearance of sprouts, the planting can be thinned out by removing excess plants (weak, densely planted), which can already be safely used for food.

The plant quickly absorbs all substances from the soil, so it is not recommended to apply top dressing, especially organic and nitrate fertilizers. The optimum temperature for growing arugula is +18°C.

Harvest about a month later (depending on the variety chosen), as nutritionally necessary, cutting off individual leaves.

Now you can grow arugula on a windowsill at home. This is a simple and rewarding business. Even a beginner in agronomy can do it. Juicy greens in pots will become a decoration in your kitchen and will delight all your household members with their original taste. See you!

» Garden

The diet of any person should include at least 70% of vegetables. A good addition is fresh herbs, the chemical composition of which is rich in valuable vitamins and minerals. Arugula is considered one of the popular salad components, but when grown in summer cottages, it is rarely possible to obtain a product with an exquisite spicy-nutty taste. The whole secret lies in agricultural technology, the rules of planting and care, which will be discussed in this article.

The plant is a kind of lettuce, belongs to the genus Indau of the cabbage family. Initially, greens were considered a weed, but later added to the lists of vegetable crops grown in our country. Demand for the product began to grow after the popularization of Mediterranean cuisine.

The culture has a short growing season, which allows you to grow greens in the open field throughout the entire warm period. When cultivated in a greenhouse or on a windowsill, the crop grows all year round, in spring and winter.

Arugula contains rich in vitamins, which includes:

• vitamin C;
• vitamins B, E, PP, K;
• essential oils;
• flavonoids;
• vegetable acids (erucic, oleic, linoleic, etc.);
• steroids and other substances.

Regular consumption of greens has the following effect on the body:

• strengthens the protective function of the body;
• normalizes metabolic processes;
• calms the nervous system;
• reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood;
• increases hemoglobin.

And this is an incomplete list of the merits of arugula, so it is often included in dietary and medical nutrition.

Terms for sowing arugula in open ground

Arugula can be sown several times per season, starting April to August. It is important that the earth has time to warm up to 9-14 degrees. If planted in cold soil, the process of germination and seedling development is inhibited.

In the south and in the middle lane, you can sow from April 15. In the northern regions, it is recommended to use greenhouse or seedling method of cultivation.

Seeds for seedlings need to be planted from the end of March to the beginning of April. Preliminary preparation for seeds is not required, they already have good germination. Seedlings are grown in pots, boxes or cups.

Shoots appear 4-6 days after sowing. When 2 true leaves are formed on the sprouts, you need to dive seedlings into separate containers(plastic cups or peat pots). The grown shoots are transferred to an open bed along with an earthen clod so as not to damage the root system.

After the germination of seedlings, it is necessary to thin out the planting, leaving at first 5 cm between the shoots, and then, increasing the distance to 10 cm. Thickening has a negative effect on the taste of the salad.

The most suitable varieties for growing in a country house or garden

The range of varieties makes it difficult to choose when choosing a variety to grow on your site. When buying, you should familiarize yourself with a brief description of the plants and the features of their agricultural technology.

Arrows of Cupid

plant with medium ripening period, the growing season lasts 36-38 days. The bush reaches a height of 20-30 cm, forming a raised rosette of narrow long leaves. During flowering, light yellow inflorescences of small sizes appear.

Features of the variety: consistently gives a high yield, the external similarity of the culture with dandelion.

curiosity

The variety ripens in about a month (vegetation 28-30 days). The height of the bush reaches 20 cm, the stem is erect with a small edge. The plant blooms in small cream-colored inflorescences.

The palatability of the leaves is distinguished by a sweetish aftertaste and the absence of bitterness.

Poker

Plant early 21-25 days. Saturated green leaves of large sizes, in one outlet there are about 20-26 of them. The height of the bush is about 20 cm.

The taste of arugula is sweetish with a hint of mustard. Seed material remains viable for 4 years.

Olivet

Plant early maturation period, the growing season lasts only 20-25 days. The height of the bush does not exceed 16-20 cm. The leaves are lyre-shaped, slightly rounded. The variety is perennial.

Advantages of the plant: high yield, good transportability, high palatability, which are distinguished by a pronounced nutty note and a slight bitterness.

Rules for planting vegetables in the garden

In order for the arugula to be filled with a rich green color and acquire a pleasant nutty flavor, it is necessary to strictly follow the rules of agricultural technology, in particular planting in open ground.

Seed preparation before sowing

Arugula seeds must be purchased in specialized stores. When buying from hand, you will need to spend seed disinfection. To do this, the grains are immersed for 15 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After the procedure, you need to thoroughly rinse them under running water and dry them on a towel.

Other treatments to stimulate growth are not carried out, since arugula seed germinates quite well.

Soil preparation for arugula

When choosing a place for a garden bed for arugula, it should be noted that the plant does not like shade or direct sunlight. Therefore, it is worth choosing a site that is in the shade for one half of the day, and in the second in the sun. Ideally, if at noon the plants will be in partial shade.

Good soil for lettuce fertile, loose with a neutral environment or slightly acidic. The following predecessors are welcome: carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin. It is not recommended to sow arugula after: cabbage, turnip, daikon, radish and other cruciferous crops.

Before planting, the soil can be enriched with calcium by introducing dolomite flour, chalk or other means into it.

What scheme to choose for planting in open ground

Sowing is carried out in prepared holes with a depth of 2 cm. The interval between rows during transplantation is observed in 30-40 cm, between the holes - 5 cm. 2-3 seeds are planted in each hole. After a week, it is necessary to thin out the beds, increasing the interval between plants to 10-15 cm.

Post disembarkation care

Temperature

The optimum temperature for vegetation is considered to be 14-18 degrees. At a lower rate, the development of the plant is inhibited.

The culture will survive a sharp drop in temperature to minus 7 degrees, but on condition that the cold is short-lived. If frost occurs after sowing, then it is necessary to build a shelter from a plastic film.

Watering the plant

The soil in the beds with arugula should always be moist, so irrigation is done regularly. Watering mode: 3-4 times a week.

In persistent heat, moisten the soil daily. From lack of moisture, the leaves acquire a bitter taste, and the plant itself releases color.

Arugula loves moisture, but watering should be regulated. Do not allow stagnant water in the upper layers of the soil.

Weeding and loosening

For normal vegetation, the plant needs loose soil, therefore, after each watering or every other time, the earth should be fluffed with a chopper or a horn.

Simultaneously with this procedure, weeding is performed. Weeds thicken the planting, which provokes the development of fungal diseases, attracting pests. In addition, the proximity to weeds can adversely affect the taste of arugula.

top dressing

The soil for planting lettuce should be well fertilized. Then for the entire growing season you will need only 1-2 dressings.

Enter complex mineral compositions should not be, because in a short time the toxins accumulated in the leaves will not have time to decompose. It is better to use a solution of chicken manure or rotted manure along with irrigation water. Nitrogen fertilizers are also suitable.

Pests and prevention

Arugula leaves contain a large amount of essential oils, their aroma repels many pests. However, this does not protect against fungal infections, which develop well in a humid environment - the soil.

With the defeat of the root system, the stem begins to gradually fade. On the roots with a fungal disease, small brown bubbles form. When the first signs of the disease are found, it is necessary to remove the bush from the garden, and treat the soil with antifungal drugs.

Arugula leaves can only be damaged cruciferous fleas, lovers of radishes and different types of lettuce. If you cover the seedlings with lutrasil, then the pest will go looking for food elsewhere.

Green harvest

Those who have already had the experience of growing arugula know that when the plant is overexposed in the garden, the leaves become hard and bitter in taste. Therefore, it is necessary to harvest the harvest on time, should not be postponed.

One of the signs of ripeness is the length of the leaf, it should reach at least 10 cm. After the release of the peduncle, the taste of the lettuce deteriorates.

Large rosettes are cut off completely, other bushes are cut off partially. Leaves are best used fresh for cooking. In the refrigerator, a crop wrapped in cling film can lie for only a few days.

Summing up, it is worth noting that the cultivation of arugula is an exciting and uncomplicated business. By adhering to the general rules for caring for a plant, you can enrich the body with useful microelements, strengthen the immune system and even rejuvenate the skin.

You can plant and grow arugula not only in the country or in the garden, but also at home - on the windowsill or balcony. The main thing is to get acquainted with compatibility with other plants, plant seeds according to the rules and maintain the desired temperature at home.

Arugula, like all salad crops, is undemanding to growing conditions. In three to four weeks, you can drive out good fragrant nutritious leaves in. What you should pay attention to:

seeds

In stores, seeds are sold under various names: Indau, Eruka salad, Eruka forest, Rocket salad. This culture is fast-growing and therefore it is not worth focusing on the terms of ripeness (early ripening, early ripening, etc.).

soil

The easiest way is to buy a package of ready-made soil in the store. It should be loose, have a neutral (slightly acidic) reaction. You can also cook by yourself. Mix soddy soil (dig up, for example, in a forest belt under birch trees, away from roads), humus, sand. Your soil mixture will be "fatter", but also denser. You will have to loosen the soil under the plants after each watering. You should not take soil from your garden because of the likelihood of infection with various fungal infections. Fertilizers should not be used, as this salad absorbs nitrates like a sponge.

How to sow?

Any low pots, plastic containers, boxes are suitable for sowing. In a word, any container with a height of at least 8 ... 10 cm is suitable. In a lower container, the earth dries quickly, which arugula does not like. So, in the prepared container we pour the soil almost to the brim. She will sit down.

We outline the rows (about 1 cm deep), spill them gently with warm water, do not make a "swamp". Then spread the seeds thinly and sprinkle with soil on top. You can also sow simply by scattering seeds randomly over the surface of moistened soil. To make the shoots friendly, cover the top with a plastic bag. We put in a dark place. After 3-5 days, the seeds germinate.

We remove the film and put it on the brightest window sill. Arugula loves a lot of light. In low light, the seedlings stretch out and do not gain flavor. You can resort to additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

Arugula Care

As the seedlings grow, they increase their watering. A week later, thickened weak plants are removed, freeing up the feeding area for stronger ones. If the house is hot and dry, then you will have to water more often. But overfilling arugula will hurt. The most favorable temperature for growth is 18...20°C. After 10-15 days, you can proceed to the first sparing pruning of lettuce leaves. This means that the point of growth must be preserved. Thus, the second wave of nutrient leaves will grow.

Benefit and pleasure

Arugula leaves contain a lot of beneficial nutrients. And in winter, they will bring a unique taste and aroma to cooked dishes, increase appetite, and strengthen immunity. The leaves are especially good as an additive to salads, pizza, any sandwiches, curd pastes and cheese. Arugula goes well with fish, meat dishes, seafood.

If earlier arugula was a curiosity in our places, today this representative of the cabbage family is gaining more and more fans. Its juicy leaves with a slight nutty flavor are simply indispensable for salads. In addition, they will add an original flavor note to soups, vegetable side dishes and even meat. Therefore, many gardeners are happy to sow arugula seeds next to the salad and cut vitamin greens all summer. If you want to have it in the winter, the most affordable option is to sow the seeds in flower vases. This culture feels great indoors and gives an equally generous deciduous harvest. At the same time, there is no particular difficulty in how to grow arugula on the windowsill. The main thing is to choose a suitable, compact and fast-growing variety and take care of the plants a little.

Features of sowing arugula for indoor cultivation

For planting in pots, it is better to choose varieties that are characterized by a rapid increase in deciduous mass. So, 3-4 weeks after sowing, it will be possible to cut the first crop of arugula:

• Poker;
• Corsica;
• Sicily;
• Rocket.

As for the soil, it should be nutritious and light. In addition, it is necessary to choose soil mixtures in which peat is not added. The acidity of arugula is not needed and is even contraindicated.

A substrate suitable for a plant can be made independently by mixing:

• 2 shares of sod land and;
• adding 1 share of sand for friability.

The closer to the surface the seeds, the faster they will sprout. Therefore, arugula should be sown superficially, only slightly sprinkled with soil on top. In addition, they will rise more evenly.

How to grow arugula on the windowsill: simple plant care

The first week, arugula crops should be kept in a greenhouse, covered with foil. It is desirable that it be a dark place. But as soon as shoots begin to peep through, the container is transferred to a bright southern window sill and the shelter is removed. Be sure to install the backlight, especially on cloudy days and in winter.

There is no need to feed indoor arugula - it grows well on its own.

When the seedlings reach 10 days of age, they should be thinned out. By the way, torn bushes can already be crumbled into a salad. In the future, the crop is fully harvested after 3-4 weeks, when the foliage becomes large. And in order to extend the growing season and take up to 3 crops, the leaves can be cut off gradually, individually.

How to grow arugula at home

The annual rucola plant (eruca lettuce, rocket lettuce, caterpillar sowing, arugula) belongs to the early ripening vegetables of the cabbage family. This variety of garden leafy greens, which has become especially popular recently due to its exquisite unusual taste and super health benefits, came to us from the Mediterranean coast. Today, arugula is successfully used not only in the Mediterranean, but also in the cuisines of many continents and countries (America, Asia, Europe).

Arugula leaves spice up any dish, whether it's a fresh vegetable salad, pasta sauce, meat dishes or risotto. The delicate nut-mustard taste of the plant is due to the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids and essential oils. The use of arugula in food has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes, tones the body, stimulates digestion, enhances intestinal motility and the removal of decay products. Due to its unique composition, the herb increases the level of hemoglobin and activates the immune system.

Not everyone has garden plots, but many would like to regularly enjoy this greenery, so in this article we will try to highlight the question of how to grow arugula at home. The trendy lettuce is quite unpretentious and does not require special agronomic skills and knowledge. Just follow the advice of experienced gardeners, and you will be provided with an excellent harvest of fragrant leaves at any time of the year.

How to grow arugula on a windowsill

Arugula seeds are bought at any specialized store. Early-ripening varieties of Koltivata, Solitaire, Rococo give a harvest quite quickly (after about three weeks), and mid-ripening - Corsica, Sicily ripen in 30-35 days. Different varieties differ not only in germination time, but also in the size, shape and color of the leaves, as well as in taste, which can be soft nutty, bitter or spicy.

Pot and soil preparation

To grow arugula on a windowsill, a pot, like any other container, must have a drainage layer (expanded clay, broken brick) and holes to remove excess moisture. The dimensions of the container for the mini-garden are selected based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe window sill. The height of the pot should not be less than 12 cm. The soil layer is filled up with a height of at least 6-7 cm.

Arugula is unpretentious and undemanding to the soil, the main thing is that the earth is sufficiently loose, moisture-permeable and always moist. The soil can be used universal, or it can be specially designed for seedlings. Such soil contains phosphorus and nitrogen in the right proportions, which has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of any plants, including arugula.

Arugula sowing

The seeds are laid out in rows on the surface of well-moistened soil, observing a step of 3 cm. They are covered with a layer of dry earth (1-1.5 cm) from above, after which the soil is qualitatively treated with warm settled water from a sprayer. This method of initial watering helps to evenly distribute moisture over the entire surface of the soil.

The box (container) should be covered with any film or glass and placed in a warm place, for example, near a heating battery, or immediately on a windowsill, especially if there are sunny days. Arugula feels great at a fairly wide temperature range (from +10°C to +25°C).

illumination

In order to properly grow arugula on the windowsill, windows should face the sunny side, since all leafy greens love the maximum amount of light. If you do not have the opportunity to break a mini-garden on a south-facing window, then lighting can also be created artificially, which will not affect the yield in any way.

Above the surface of the plants at a distance of about half a meter, you can attach lighting fixtures, such as fluorescent lamps. In winter and in cloudy weather, supplementary lighting must be carried out all day. The rest of the time, for the normal development of greenery, it is enough to increase daylight hours by several hours.

Arugula Care

Do not forget to moisten the soil daily with a spray bottle, removing the film and airing the plantings. The first shoots appear very quickly (3-7 days), which is a signal to remove the protective coating and place the container in its permanent place.

Now the whole process of caring for your green pets comes down to regular watering. The plant very quickly absorbs all substances from the soil, so it is not recommended to fertilize with various chemical substrates.

Arugula harvest

When the leaves reach a height of 10 cm, you can begin to actively feast on spicy grass. You should not wait until it blooms, as in the photo at the beginning of the article :) The crop is harvested as needed, immediately before being added to culinary dishes (this way all nutrients are preserved to the maximum), tearing off green leaves, the original corrugated form. With a uniform, gentle picking, arugula can delight you with its greens for up to 45 days!

As you can see, growing arugula on the windowsill is not difficult. You just have to decide on this crucial step and in a month you will enjoy the magnificent appearance and taste of this exotic spice.

Mila Nabogova "How to grow arugula at home" especially for the Eco-life website.