Eruca vesicaria <\/em>ssp sativa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Syn E. sativa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Introduction<\/strong>: Arugala has its own distinctive pungent flavor and has been in\nand out of fashion since Roman times. It is a plant that people tend to have\nstrong opinions about, they either love or hate it. I\u2019m not a big fan, but I\nknow people who find it almost irresistible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the moment it is back in fashion again and is a key ingredient\nin many commercially grown\nsalad mixes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate: <\/strong>Arugala is native to the Mediterranean, but grows naturally as a\nlate winter or spring flower, so it is fairly hardy plant. It needs cool\nweather for best growth, being able to germinate and grow in cold soil and\ntolerating light frost. It bolts quickly when growing in hot weather (often\nwithin weeks of planting). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nutritional value: <\/strong>Arugala is rich in vitamins A and C as well as calcium, iron,\nmagnesium, zing and folate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n pH: 6.00 (6.5) 7.00<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This hardy plant can grow almost anywhere, but does best in a\nfertile, moisture retentive, well-drained soil. If the soil is very poor they\nmay bolt quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soil preparation<\/strong>: I don\u2019t consider arugala to be a very important crop and just\nplant it in any convenient vacant space, without doing any special soil\npreparation. However for maximum productivity this fast growing plant needs\nnutrients that are readily available. It needs quite a bit of nitrogen and\nslightly less phosphorus and potassium. Add 2\u02dd of compost to the soil and\nperhaps some organic fertilizer mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ease of growing<\/strong>: Arugala is little changed from a wild plant and is pretty easy\nto grow. The only real problem is the short harvest season before it bolts\n(flowers). I have read that in an ideal cool, moist situation it can get up to\n3 ft tall, but mine usually bolt before they get anywhere near this size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Where: <\/strong>This fast maturing and compact plant doesn\u2019t take up much space,\nso is often interplanted between slower growing crops, rather than being given\nspace of its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Arugala needs full sun for best growth, though like most leafy\ngreens it will tolerate some shade (and may prefer it in warmer weather). <\/p>\n\n\n\n When<\/strong>: This hardy member of the mustard family grows best in the cool\nweather of spring and fall. In hot weather it gets very pungent and bolts as\nsoon as it has produced a few leaves. In mild climates it can be grown all\nsummer and if winters are mild it can be grown through the winter too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring outdoors<\/strong>: Rocket germinates well in soil as cool as 45\u02daF and can be sown 4 – 6 weeks before the\nlast spring frost. For an even earlier crop warm the soil with cloches for a\nweek or two before planting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fall\ncrop<\/strong>: Arugala also does well as a fall crop. Start sowing whenever the\nweather starts to cool down sufficiently (the seed doesn\u2019t germinate well above\n75\u02daF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winter\ncrop<\/strong>: Arugala is well suited for growing in cool weather and in areas\nwith mild winters it can be an important winter crop. It can also do well in\ncolder areas if grown under cloches or tunnels (or in the greenhouse).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Succession sowing<\/strong>: Rocket is a fast crop at the best of times, but especially as\nthe weather warms up. If you want a continuous supply, you should make\nsuccession sowings every 2 – 3 weeks until it gets too warm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This annual is usually grown from seed, sown directly into the\ngarden at a depth of \u00bc – \u00bd\u02dd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring indoors<\/strong>: In spring arugala is sometimes started indoors 4 – 6 weeks\nbefore the last frost date and planted out 3 – 4 weeks later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spacing<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beds: If you grow it in beds you can sow the seed 2\u02dd apart and\nthin the plants to a final spacing of 6\u02dd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rows<\/strong>:\nSow the seeds 2\u02dd apart in the row, with 6\u02dd between the rows. As the plants get\nbigger you harvest thin to the desired spacing of 6\u02dd apart. If you give it more\nroom (up to 12\u02dd) the plants will get bigger, but you will have less of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Arugala if often grown as a cut and come again crop, in which case\nyou sow the seeds about 1\u02dd apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Weeds<\/strong>: This plant competes against weeds quite well, because it\npractically is a weed. It will need weeding while young though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watering<\/strong>: Arugala is fairly drought tolerant, but needs moist soil for\nbest growth and flavour. This is especially important in warm weather as dry\nplants get pungent and bolt quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeding<\/strong>: If your soil isn\u2019t very good you might want to boost growth with\na feed of liquid kelp or compost tea. You will probably only need to do this\nonce before it is ready to harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Frost protection<\/strong>: Though this is a hardy plant, a fall crop will usually grow\nfaster and be more productive if given the protection of cloches or tunnels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pests<\/strong>: Many of the pests that attack the related Brassicas will also\neat arugala. Flea beetles are the commonest problem in my garden, peppering the\nplants with tiny holes. I don\u2019t normally do anything about them though, because\nthese fast growing plants usually recover quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diseases<\/strong>: Though these are not usually a big problem, arugala is sometimes\nbothered by damping off, mildew and various bacterial infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poor flavor<\/strong>: Unpleasantly pungent and bitter leaves are usually the result of\nhot weather and \/ or a lack of water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can start harvesting individual leaves as soon as they are of\nsufficient size (2 – 3\u02dd), which may be only 2 weeks after transplanting. You\ncan also harvest the whole plants up until they start to flower. Cut them off a\ncouple of inches above ground level and the remaining plant will usually\nre-grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The leaves are best when harvested immediately before use. If\nnecessary you can store them in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seed saving<\/strong>: Rocket bolts readily so saving seed is easy. The perfect flowers\nare cross-pollinated by insects, but since there are few varieties available\n(and you are unlikely to have more than one type flowering any a time), this\nisn\u2019t usually a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When the seedpods begin to ripen, cut the whole plants and put\nthem in a paper grocery bag to dry. When they are fully dry, crush them to free\nthe seeds. Arugala produces seed abundantly and you can get a lot of seed from\na few plants. I always have far more than I have use for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Salad mix<\/strong>: Rocket is commonly grown for use in salad mixes. It may either\nbe grown in a mixed bed, or in a section by itself. I prefer the latter\napproach, as it is more vigorous than most salad mix plants and can take over.\nIt does well when grown in this way, as its ever present tendency to bolt is\nless of a problem. See Salad mix<\/strong> for more\non this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Micro-greens<\/strong>: This is just a smaller version of the above. You plant the seeds\n\u00bc\u02dd apart and start harvesting when the\nfirst true leaves appear. This can be within 2 weeks. See Microgreens<\/strong> <\/strong>for more on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Containers<\/strong>: Arugala does well as a container plant, so long as the container\nis at least 6\u02dd deep and you keep the soil moist. It will even do well inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wild garden<\/strong>: Arugala self-sows readily and can become a minor weed. Because\nof this I rarely plant it in its own bed. I just encourage it by scattering\nseed in suitable spots. As I write this it looks as good now as it has all year\nand it is almost Christmas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Varieties<\/strong>: There are a few, mostly claiming to be slower to bolt, but I\ncan\u2019t say I\u2019ve noticed much difference in any of those I have tried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kitchen use<\/strong>: If you don\u2019t like it raw, try it in soups, or steamed as a\npotherb, as this changes the flavor a lot (this is a good way to use older\nleaves too).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The white flowers can be added to salads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The abundantly produced seeds can be ground into a condiment like\nmustard (see Mustard<\/strong> for how to do this). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The seed can also be sprouted for salad greens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perennial<\/strong> <\/strong>arugala<\/strong> \/<\/strong> <\/strong>Sylvetta<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Diplotaxis tenuifolia and D. muralis)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I wrote the above about arugala I have discovered this\nintriguing perennial and have been very impressed with it. The main reason I\nlike it is because it doesn\u2019t bolt to seed at the first opportunity (as\nordinary arugala is inclined to do). <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I grew it the plants didn\u2019t flower for several months after\nplanting. When they did finally do so, I collected seed for sowing next year.\nActually this wasn\u2019t even necessary as it is a perennial. If you cut off the\nflowering heads early, it will put on more vegetative growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have found that it tastes pretty much the same, though some\npeople claim it is stronger flavored.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" About Arugala<\/strong> <\/strong>
Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 35 (45 – 70) 75\u02daF
Germ time: 2 – 7 days
Seed viability: 2 – 5 years
Germination percentage: 80%+
Weeks to grow transplants: 3 – 4
Plant height 12 – 24\u02dd
Plant diameter: 12\u02dd
Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Hardy
Growing temp: 45 (60 – 65) 75\u02daF
Plants per person: 10
Plants per sq ft: 2 – 4
Direct sow: 4 – 6 wks before last frost
Days to harvest: 25 – 40
Harvest period: 1 – 4 wks <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n