Arugula - Aromatic Salad Green
by John Yazo
Arugla, also know as rocket, roquette, rugula or rucola is an annual herb that is commonly mistaken as a lettuce, and is a member of the mustard family. It is a popular Italian cuisine, and like most salad greens, low in calories and high in vitamins A and C. Grown for both it's leafy greens for salads and seeds for flavoring oils.
Easy to grow in the home garden, along with being a good choice as a companion plant with other herbs and vegetables. Arugula is a cool weather crop that performs best when planted in the spring or early summer. Sow the seeds in a good fertile soil that is well drained, and in a sunny location in succession, about every twenty to thirty days, from early spring to fall. Cover the seeds with about 1/4" of fine composted humus material in rows eighteen to twenty four inches apart. Depending on the location, you can sow seeds in the late summer months as long as the plants are protected from direct sunlight in hot areas and from freezing in areas of cooler climates.
Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them to nine to twelve inches apart. When harvesting, simply pick the young tender leaves before they get tough, older leaves also have a hotter taste. The flowers of this plant are white with dark centers and can be also used in salads.
Arugula is a highly perishable herb and does not keep well even when refrigerated. Before storing in a refrigerator, it is best to wrap a damp paper towel around the leaves and place in a perforated plastic bag. Another way that arugula can be preserved is by simply standing then in a glass of water, just as you would a flower arrangement, changing the water daily.
As with any herb, you can grow arugula by a variety of methods, containers or pots being one of the most common for herbs. Container gardens allow for easy access of herbs near the kitchen area where they are used the most, and are a great method of gardening when wanting to accent the interior decor of a particular room or area.
A good healthy organic soil structure is the key to having a successful garden. This is a soil that is rich in nutrients and life, retains moisture, and a soil that drains well. A healthy soil is the essential building block of a garden. Soil in an organic garden is a complex and delicate ecosystem with a vast community of organisms that convert a variety of organic materials into valuable nutrients for plant life to benefit from.
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