When to plant arugula outdoors. Arugula on the windowsill: we grow from seeds at home! Useful properties of arugula: video

For complete happiness, I decided to grow arugula in a pot on the windowsill from seeds. Now I’m looking at my window sill and I understand that I won’t be able to open the window anymore ... Soon the tarragon will be transplanted into larger pots, the dill grows, the thyme has risen well and the chives are drawn out little by little.

I have never tried arugula, so I decided to sow next to watercress, just for the sake of sports interest (or fanaticism, which is terrible to admit). The first attempt failed - a flat pallet in which watercress successfully grows is not suitable for the arugula root system, and it will not work to sow as thickly as watercress.

How to grow arugula in a pot

I'll start with seeds. I came across two varieties - solitaire and poker. It is not necessary to soak the seeds, they germinate literally on the second day. Take a pot at least 10 cm deep, and preferably a box to accommodate more bushes. It is recommended to sow arugula at home at a distance of a centimeter from each other, and after the appearance of the first two leaves, plant it 4 cm, but I’m not ready to transplant a whole army of arugula, I sowed it as it turned out - I visually divided the pot into two semicircles and sowed each with its own variety, thicker than recommended.

Don't forget about drainage to the bottom of the pot. Seeds sprinkled from a spray bottle warm water and covered with a thin layer of earth, also moistened. They say that arugula on the windowsill needs a sunny place, but in fact it turned out that it just burns in direct sunlight, even on an east window. Mine feels great on a shaded balcony, with a moderate draft.

Take the soil - which is not a pity, just feed once a week with complex fertilizer and I advise you to add it to the soil, or better, both. I now plant nothing at all without these components.

Arugula loves moderate humidity. Make sure that the earth never dries up (I water the young shoots exclusively from a spray bottle, so as not to flood and break the sprouts).

My arugula in a pot

It is better to eat in a month, let her gain strength and vitamins to the fullest. In height, the stem can grow up to 40 cm, you can already eat a six-centimeter leaf, but I advise you to be patient.

Arugula also grows in a cup. Looks very cute)))

You can already eat arugula

This lettuce tastes like Walnut, very unusual spicy aroma. Due to its unique properties, arugula has a number of useful properties.

Arugula (or arugula) is able to provide the body with useful substances throughout the year. In warm weather, it is cultivated in open ground and under cover. IN winter time grown at home. The use of culture in projects is singled out separately. landscape design site. The height of the bush is about 60 cm, the leaves are pinnate, the flowers are white or yellowish. In the article we will talk about growing arugula in the open field / on the windowsill, determine when to plant, give recommendations for care and reproduction.

It is placed in flowerbeds with herbs. In this case, you need to provide a convenient approach to the plants. Annual varieties are combined with perennials, which gives a special charm to the compositions. The plant propagates by seeds that ripen within a month, so there are no problems with planting material.

What conditions are necessary for growing arugula in open ground

Independent cultivation of arugula does not require huge knowledge and experience. The culture is unpretentious, capable of yielding several crops in one season. Sowing is carried out from April to mid-August. It is necessary to take into account the growing season of the variety in order to get a crop on time. Previously, they get a crop with a seedling method. Sowing seeds, in this case, is carried out at the end of March.

To get a useful spice early, choose seedling cultivation technology.

Some nuances of agricultural technology in the open air:

1. Arugula does not grow in acidic soils. Therefore, the beds are placed on neutral, slightly acidic or alkaline soils. Lime or chalk is added to acidic soil for alkalization.
2. Leaves need adequate lighting. Otherwise, they lose color saturation and taste specificity. Arugula will tolerate a little shading well, but no more. Read also the article: → "".
3. Prolonged exposure to air temperatures below -6 ° leads to a decrease in plant growth and stops the development of leaf mass.
4. Demanding arugula for watering. When the soil dries out, the leaf loses its tenderness, coarsens, becomes unusable. In the hot summer period, additional watering is necessary. It is good to use sprinklers or run a watering hose between the rows. Watering time - early morning or evening after the air temperature drops.
5. Top dressing is made with organic fertilizers. Optimally - rotted mullein or compost. Nitrogen lead to the accumulation of nitrates in the leaves of arugula, so they are used, strictly maintaining the dosage. It is recommended to combine top dressing with watering.

The growing process is divided into stages:

1. Bed preparation. Preference is given to places where potatoes, legumes, pumpkins were grown. The soil is dug up, loosened and leveled.
2. Markup. The depth of the furrows is up to 15 mm with a distance between rows of 30-40 cm. Before sowing, the furrows are abundantly shed.
3. Sowing is carried out with a embedding depth of 0.5 - 1.5 cm. Maintain a distance between seeds of 3-10 cm, sprinkle with soil, maintaining the embedding depth parameter. In some cases, surface sowing on compacted soil is convenient.
4. Spring crops are covered first for the whole day, then at night. Plants need to be loosened, weeded and watered. Cutting is carried out when the size of the leaves is from 10 cm in length. This encourages greenery renewal.

We use a home window sill for planting arugula

There is enough space on the window for harvesting arugula in winter or in early spring. The main thing is to provide an area of ​​\u200b\u200b30x15 cm for one bush. Read also the article: → "". Any soil is taken with the addition of vermiculite or perlite, which will help provide nutrition.

1. Soaking the seeds is not required, the germination of the culture is high.
2. The seeds are located at a sufficient distance from each other (at least 3 cm) so that the plantings do not shade each other.
3. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the planting container, then the soil is moistened, seeds are sown, covered with a small layer of earth and again sprayed with water from a spray bottle. This technique is to protect against erosion of the soil and save the seeds.
4. The pots are located on the east side. Seedlings tolerate a little shade, which saves them from direct sunlight.
5. In order for the harvest to justify the effort expended, it is required to feed the plants once a week and provide moderate watering. The soil should not be too wet, but the arugula will not tolerate drying out either.

Tip #2 Choose deep pots or boxes (from 10 cm). The flat planting container is not suitable for the arugula root system.

Water tender sprouts with a spray bottle or a fine nozzle so as not to damage the plants.

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How spices are grown in greenhouses

Protected soil allows you to harvest all year round. Maintaining optimal conditions for culture, you can achieve good results. Important:

• keep the temperature at a level not lower than + 16 °;
• provide artificial lighting for plants with a lack of sunlight.

The process of growing arugula in a greenhouse includes the following steps:

1. Soil preparation. First, loosening is carried out in order to clean the soil from weeds and plant debris. Loosening depth - at least 18 cm. preparatory stage. Then additional loosening or plowing (in large areas) after 2 weeks. The third stage of preparation is harrowing or leveling the soil with a rake.
2. Marking and preparation of ridges. The depth of the furrows is maintained within 1.5-2.0 cm with a row spacing of 35 to 40 cm.
3. Sowing seeds is done in holes, which are located 8 cm apart. 2-3 seeds are placed in one hole. A week after germination, the plants are thinned out.

Further care of green spaces includes watering, nutrition, protection from diseases and pests, and regular harvesting. It is popular to plant seedlings from a greenhouse for further cultivation in open ground.

Popular and proven varieties of spicy arugula

Growing arugula is an interesting process, but it requires knowledge of the nuances. First of all, you need to remember that arugula is an annual or biennial plant. It depends on the variety. Biennials winter well and already produce juicy leafy greens in early spring. And annual species are divided by maturity.

Early - until full ripeness, they need three weeks after germination:

Name	Vegetative period	Grade height	Description	Application
Rocket	20 to 25 days	17-20 cm	Rich nut-mustard taste. A plant with dark green, dissected leaves.	In cooking for the preparation of seasonings, salads and second courses.
Olivet	19-25 days	14-20 cm	The leaves are very juicy, with the right mustard-nut flavor. The composition contains essential oils, carotene.	In a variety of salads, hot spices, side dishes for meat and fish snacks.
Victoria	20-25 days	15-20 cm	Gives a bountiful harvest of leaves with a delicate taste. The variety is rich in vitamins.	Dietary ration, supplement to meat and fish dishes.
Poker	20-27 days	17-21 cm	A large-leaved variety with a mustard-sweet aftertaste. The leaves are green, the flowers are pale cream.	The main use is in salads.
Spartacus	20-24 days	18-22 cm	Suitable for year-round cultivation, it belongs to dietary varieties with a spicy piquant taste.	It is used to prevent beriberi, added to salads and side dishes.

Medium varieties - delayed with the issuance of the crop for 2 weeks from early counterparts:

Name	Vegetative period	plant height	Short description	Areas of use
Arrows of Cupid	33-39 days	21-29 cm	The shape of the leaf is narrow and long, the flower is yellow, the weight reaches 20 g	Culinary - cold and hot appetizers, salads, first courses, sauces
curiosity	21-25 days	20-22 cm	Beautiful leaf in the form of a lyre. Flower color is cream. Weight over 18 g.	The main dishes are salads, cold meat and fish.
Solitaire	36-48 days	up to 20 cm	Dissected sheet. Small cuts along the edges. The taste is pronounced nut-mustard. Reaches a mass of 45 g. Used as a biennial variety. Winters well with little cover.	For making salads

To get the desired result, carefully read the description of the characteristics of the variety and choose the one that suits the conditions of your site.

Possible diseases and pests of arugula - how to avoid

Problem	signs	Fighting methods
fungal diseases	Depending on the type of fungus, dark brown spots or chlorosis are noticed on the leaves.	Compliance with crop rotation, competent soil preparation, and a merciless fight against weeds.
cabbage moth (⊗ )	Leaves have rounded edges or middle.	Careful digging of the soil before sowing, regular inspection and collection of pest pupae. Processing arugula with infusions of tops (potatoes or tomatoes), wormwood. Treatment with karbofos.
Cruciferous flea	eaten leaves	Small-drop watering, planting repellent plants near beds with arugula (coriander, dill, basil, sage), digging the soil in cool weather, spraying emulsion (trichlormetaphos-3), sprinkling with a mixture of ash and tobacco dust, covering the soil with non-woven material.
Slugs (⊗ )		Sprinkle the ground with dry mustard powder.

How to Grow Healthy Arugula Seedlings for Planting

Arugula seedlings are grown in peat cups, peat tablets or ordinary cups, planting boxes that can be painlessly divided. Seedlings do not like picking, although this technique is used, but carefully. The soil is chosen with a slight acidity, you can pre-purchase ready-made with the indicated indicators. Then they are sterilized using high temperature (in a water bath, in an oven, over an open fire).

Sow arugula in a separate container so as not to injure the plants during transplantation.

Soil is placed in each container, moistened with water and 2-3 seeds are sown. Sprinkle with earth no more than 1 cm on top of the seed. The containers are placed on a well-lit window sill or in a greenhouse with additional source Sveta. After 5-6 days, mass shoots of arugula are noticeable.

1. Seedling lighting. The taste of arugula depends on the amount of light. Its deficiency will lead to thinning of the stems, a decrease in the saturation of the color of the leaves. But the plant does not like direct sunlight. With a southern location of the window sill or greenhouse, seedlings are shaded. The light should ideally be diffused and bright. In cloudy weather and with a short daylight hours, additional lighting is used with LED or fluorescent lamps. Provide for the possibility of moving fixtures as seedlings grow. Read also the article: → "".
2. Watering. The average frequency of watering is maintained once every two days. Stagnation of water and drying of the soil is not allowed.
3. The temperature for seedlings is maintained in the range from + 9 ° C to + 23 ° C
4. It is better to transplant seedlings with a container. If possible, the cups are cut, peat ones are buried in the soil with sprouts. The main condition is not to damage the clod of earth during transplantation. At first, the landings are covered. As the air temperature rises, the need for protection disappears.

Mistakes gardeners make when growing arugula

Among the main inaccuracies of agricultural technology, it is worth highlighting:

1. Sowing in a flat container. The root system of arugula requires a deeper layer of soil.
2. Too dense sowing of seeds. The germination of arugula is excellent, extra plants will have to be thinned out, which injures those nearby. The second nuance - when thickened, the color of the leaves is pale and the taste is worse.
3. Improper picking or transplanting seedlings. Sensitive arugula roots react to the slightest damage.
4. Overfeeding plantings.

The better to feed healthy arugula in the beds

The exactingness of the plant to the fertility of the soil forces you to be attentive to top dressing. Arugula should not be heavily fed. Like all cabbage, it is able to accumulate harmful components.

Name	Advantages	disadvantages
Manure	Autumn introduction gives the soil fertility, in the spring it stimulates the growth of seedlings.	Insufficiently rotted manure can lead to plant burns.
nitrogen fertilizers	Useful in the initial period of growth.	Introduction at a later period leads to coarsening of the leaves and the accumulation of nitrates.
Fertilizer firm "Rost" (universal or concentrate)	The first week - foliar top dressing by spraying, the second - root. The composition is prepared according to the instructions. Balanced composition.	No obvious ones noted.
Agrolife ( chicken manure concentrated)	Decent price, organic composition	Overdose leads to a decrease in the quality of the leaves and the accumulation harmful substances. not a very pleasant smell, hand protection is required.

Questions for gardeners when growing spices

Question number 1. What will be affected by the large distance between the arugula bushes in the garden?

A very sparse planting of arugula will cause the plant to be large-leaved and thick-stemmed. When light enters the lower part of the plant, the lower part of the sprout will quickly coarsen, which will reduce the quality of the herb.

Question number 2. We have drip irrigation on the beds with arugula, but there is no time to remove the weeds. How does it harm plantings?

Arugula is moisture-loving, but with a large number of weeds, they also use water. Therefore, arugula leaves will be rougher, and the taste will lose its mustard-nut shade.

Question number 3. Does soaking before sowing improve seed germination?

For arugula, it doesn't matter. Germination is good, so don't waste time soaking.

Question number 4. I bought seeds of perennial arugula, and everywhere it says that this is an annual plant. What is this herb?

It looks like this is a two-row thin-leaved or wild arugula. The application is identical to annual varieties, and the taste is sharper. After cutting, it gives a second crop. Agrotechnics of cultivation does not differ from sowing arugula.

In European countries, arugula is especially popular. It tastes like watercress and gives dishes a special taste and fresh aroma.

It is an annual plant of the cabbage family and can reach a height of up to 60 cm. Arugula seeds are often used to make mustard, and the leaves themselves are used to make soups, salads and even juices.

Arugula: useful properties

Rucola contains a lot of useful substances, including flavonoids, mineral salts, apple and lemon acid, mustard oil, steroids, B vitamins and vitamin C. In addition, lettuce leaves are rich in lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose. These substances are not absorbed during digestion, but are important components for the life of the body. Thanks to them, harmful substances and waste are disposed of, the concentration of cholesterol in the blood decreases. Scientists believe that arugula helps protect the body from atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

The plant has diuretic, antibacterial and lactogenic properties. It stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite and promotes the absorption of food.

Arugula: varieties

There are several varieties of arugula. the best annual varieties that have adapted well to the Russian climate are:

1. Poker, which can be harvested 25 days after planting;
2. Rococo, can be harvested 25 days after emergence;
3. Corsica, Sicily, Euphoria, Gourmet, Curiosity, Little Mermaid - harvested after 35 days.
4. Solitaire is a variety that can be harvested a year after planting.

How to grow arugula?

The technology of growing a plant is similar to growing spinach. Arugula can be planted in a greenhouse, in open soil, and even at home on a windowsill. In open ground, seeds are sown in late April - early May. If you are late with landing, this can be done in the summer by choosing a site in partial shade. In bright sun, young stalks of arugula can dry out. Seeds for planting can be purchased at any garden store.

Rucola: growing from seeds

For sowing, it is necessary to form holes at a distance of 20 cm. The seeds of the plant are placed at a depth of 1.5 - 2 cm. Before germination, it is better to cover the bed with a film or net. The first young growth should appear on the 3rd day. 3 weeks after planting, you will have a delicious lettuce.

Land for growing arugula should be fertile, breathable and neutral. Like any plant, lettuce needs to be watered and loosened regularly. In the heat, abundant and frequent watering is recommended, otherwise the arugula will have a bitter taste. During cultivation, lettuce does not require fertilizing with fertilizers.

Despite the fact that the plant is cold-resistant, you need to take care of keeping warm. Prepare mini greenhouses from plastic bottles. With the expected cold weather, seedlings need to be covered for the night.

Arugula on the windowsill: how to grow?

• Arugula can be grown not only on the site, but also at home on the windowsill. Flower pots or trays are suitable as planting containers. The soil for planting choose neutral or slightly acidic. If you decide to prepare the soil yourself, the composition is suitable: humus, soddy soil and sand (2: 2: 1). Not suitable for growing on a windowsill garden soil, it is easy to bring pathogens with it.
• Arugula needs good lighting, but it is also shade tolerant. In any case, it is recommended to plant it no earlier than March, otherwise the salad will stretch out a lot. Experienced gardeners advise planting seeds to a depth of 1.5 cm, but surface sowing can be used. It involves spreading seeds over pre-compacted soil. Then planting material covered with a thin layer of soil. This will allow you to get uniform shoots.
• When you plant the arugula, cover the container plastic wrap and put in a dark place. When the first shoots appear (after about a week), remove the film and place the container with the plant on the windowsill. You need to water every 2 days.
• Arugula grows quickly and about a week after germination, planting density can be adjusted. You can cut out excess and weak plants and use them in cooking. Harvest one month after germination.

Arugula pests: how to recognize?

Due to the high content essential oils pests bypass arugula. The plant can only be hit fungal diseases that damage the roots. Diseased stems gradually wither. To detect a fungus, you need to carefully examine the lettuce roots. They will have small brown bubbles. The disease is not treated, so the affected arugula is destroyed, and the soil is thrown away or treated with antifungal drugs.

Planting arugula is not a difficult task. Lettuce lovers can grow it all year round on the windowsill, harvesting it monthly. From the leaves of the plant, you can prepare salads, soups, decoctions, juices and mashed potatoes.

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.

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 cost strength, time and nerves.

What is arugula? This is an annual plant that belongs to the Cabbage family. It is an early ripening vegetable. It's a variety leafy greens. 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 varieties such 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 a delicious and very tasty useful greens. 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 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 changes colors or the 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 period. 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 herbs containing a large number 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 culture in flower pot, you will always have a source of vitamins, as well as a delicious and fresh ingredient for culinary masterpieces.

Video “Growing”

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

Arugula is a plant aphrodisiac and a green doctor that protects against thyroid and prostate diseases, normalizes hemoglobin levels and removes swelling. Leaves with a spicy nut-mustard flavor turn ordinary salads and soups into works of culinary art. It is better to grow the spice on the windowsill, because in the garden it is attacked by a cruciferous flea that can destroy the entire crop in a matter of hours.

Selection of planting material

Arugula is sold in stores for summer residents. Seeds are processed before packaging in bags, so they do not need disinfection and dressing. The crop will ripen in 25-30 days, if you choose early varieties. Mid-season varieties are ready for use after 35 days. It is recommended to plant arugula in boxes or pots at intervals so that there is always fresh greenery in the house.

Seasoning enthusiasts can cull empty shells by dipping seeds for planting in saline. The sediment is used to grow the plant, and the material floating on the surface is drained into the sink along with water.

Soil preparation

Some experienced summer residents recommend buying land in specialized stores. The soil should be intended for growing seedlings, not indoor flowers. This variety is enriched with phosphorus and nitrogenous components, so the arugula will turn out strong, and the harvest will be rich.

Ordinary black soil from the garden where pumpkin or legumes grew is also suitable. The plant loves slightly alkaline, and preferably neutral soil. Dies if there are peat impurities in the base.

A homemade version made from soddy land, humus and sand is suitable. The first and second components are in equal proportions, the third will need less. The main thing is that the soil is crumbly and loose.

Arugula needs to be protected from fungus and pests by calcining the earth in the oven. Half an hour at the highest temperature. An alternative is boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate, which is poured into the ground. After disinfection, the base is infused for 1–2 weeks so that beneficial microorganisms appear in it.

Which boxes to use

Arugula is unpretentious, takes root in almost any container. Wooden boxes, plastic containers or flower pots are suitable, you can turn milk bags into a mini-garden. The height of the sides should be at least 12 cm. Holes at the bottom are required, through which excess moisture will escape and air will flow to the roots.

Drawers are placed on stands or trays so as not to stain the windowsill. The width of the container depends on the size of the window on which the seasoning will grow. The pots are moved up to the glass so that the plant receives a lot of sun.

Important: Do not plant arugula in peat pots or tablets, because in acidic soil it dies.

Preparation and disembarkation

Do not do without a drainage layer. Crushed brick will come in handy, you can collect small pebbles or rub a piece of foam. Pour broken earthenware or coarse sand into the pot. What should be the thickness of the drainage layer? Approximately 1.5-2 cm plus 6-8 cm of soil, which is lightly tamped.

Seeds that have been in brine are washed and dried. The earth is moistened with a spray gun, shallow holes or rows can be made, but this is not necessary. Retreat 3 cm from each seed so that the arugula has room to grow.

Pick up the planting material with a wet match, put it in the ground. When all the seeds are in the box, sprinkle with warm water from a spray bottle. A watering can for flowers is not suitable, because it erodes the soil. Sprinkle a centimeter layer of earth on top, lightly press it down with a spatula, and close each box or pot with a plastic bag. Garbage bags come in handy, glass can be used instead of a lid.

Arugula care before the first shoots

Seeds that are in the ground do not need the sun. Containers with arugula should be placed in a warm room without drafts, in which the temperature does not drop below +18 degrees, otherwise the seedlings will be weak.

The soil must remain moist. If it dries out, it is slightly moistened with a spray bottle. Waterlogged land - perfect option for the development of fungi, so the plant is watered moderately, preferably no more than once every two days.

Light and warmth

After 5–7 days, the first tender shoots hatch that need the sun. The bags can be removed, the glass can be left for another week, and the boxes and pots can be moved to the south windowsill. This part of the house has the most light. If the weather is gloomy, you should install the usual table lamp. There should be 60 cm between the plant and the lighting fixture so that artificial rays do not dry out the ground. You can increase the amount of watering if the ground inside becomes dry. Determining the humidity is simple: stick your finger into the soil and try.

In winter, after sunset, the lamp is left on for at least 4 hours so that the sprouts do not stretch. In spring, the daylight hours are 9-11 hours, so the lighting device should work from 7 am to 5-6 pm.

Sprouts protect from drafts. They are dangerous for any plant, but arugula is very delicate and sensitive. You can not open the windows on the windows where the miniature garden is located. It is necessary to maintain a stable temperature in the room so that the thermometer does not show less than +17.

Extra care

Seedlings aged 8–10 days are recommended to thin out, removing weak and stunted plants. They can be added to salads or soups by cutting off the roots and washing the leaves well. The remaining specimens are regularly watered from a syringe, teaspoon or spray bottle. Grown bushes normally tolerate both +10 degrees and +25.

The nutrients in the soil are sufficient for normal growth arugula. The plant does not need additional fertilization. If the seasoning seems to be developing poorly, iron chelate can be used. You should refrain from nitrates and organic fertilizers, because the plant quickly absorbs everything that is in the soil, and it falls into the gardener's plate.

Arugula ripens a month later, sometimes earlier. It is advised to cut leaves with a height of 10 centimeters or more. Not all at once, but as needed, because the greens are not stored for a long time even in the refrigerator. It is necessary to have time to harvest before 45–50 days, when the plant begins to bloom. You can leave a few bushes, and try to stock up on seeds on your own.

Tip: There will always be fresh arugula in the house if you plant it in small batches, after 1–1.5 weeks.

There is nothing difficult in growing a popular plant. There is no need to fertilize, soak the seeds or follow a special temperature regime. Rucola is enough ordinary earth and a lot of sun to make its leaves juicy and tasty. Even novice gardeners are able to plant a real garden on their windowsill with a healthy seasoning that is used for cooking in elite restaurants.

Video: beneficial properties of arugula