How to Grow Arugula, Spinach and Other Quick Salad Leaves

Eruca sativa, better known by its scientific name Arugula, is a cool-season green. If the temperature gets too warm for its liking, Arugula will bolt, or produce seeds without further growth of leaves.

For optimal results, plant arugula at the front of your garden along with interrrupters like parsley and chives that will prevent pests from eating your greens. This combination will deter them from nibbling your greens!

Planting

Arugula seeds germinate quickly, but as they develop it is necessary to thin seedlings out to prevent overcrowding – consult the seed packet for guidance in terms of spacing. Once established, mulch with compost or untreated grass clippings to maintain consistent soil moisture levels and help combat any potential weed invasion that might compete for water and nutrients with salad greens.

Like other leafy greens, arugula does not need additional fertilizer; however, it should be watered regularly to prevent bolting in hot weather. Arugula prefers well-draining soil that’s rich in nutrient rich soil such as earthworm castings, rock dust, chicken manure, fish meal or bone meal from fish meal or bone meal and even kelp can give your planting that extra edge!

Arugula makes an excellent companion plant in any garden for spinach and other cool-season greens, providing much-needed shade from summer heat, keeping the soil cooler, moister and attracting beneficial insects that help eliminate flea beetles and other pests.

Springtime pairings of arugula include peas, beans, beets, radishes and carrots are ideal as natural pest deterrents while providing plenty of fresh homegrown vegetables to get you through summer. Cilantro, dill and calendula bloom brightly during similar cool season blooming times as arugula; their blooming also acts as trap crops to ward off pests from damaging greens.

Care

Arugula cannot compete effectively with weeds, so regular weeding is necessary. Any self-sown plants growing near to it must also be removed immediately. Applying mulch will also help keep weeds at bay and maintain moisture levels – this could include untreated grass clippings, compost or layers of leafy green waste from either your garden or kitchen!

Success with Arugula and other quick salad leaves lies in maintaining cool temperatures when cultivating them. Arugula seeds can withstand frost, and are best planted either early spring or fall. Unfortunately, Arugula cannot stand heat exposure and will bolt if exposed to warm conditions; at such points in time, its energy shifts from producing new leaves towards producing flowers and seeds, leaving the remaining ones bitter and peppery in flavor.

Sowing Arugula SuccessionallyThe best way to extend the harvest season with Arugula is sowing successive sowings every 2-3 weeks during spring and fall – this ensures fresh arugula all year round. Indoor sowing options include ceramic self watering planters, hydroponic systems equipped with air bubblers or windowsill setup with grow light for sowing indoor seeds; all require nutrient-rich soil without weeds for fast growing crops such as Arugula; regular watering is required during summer heat waves to maintain yields; regularly watering during warm periods is crucial – particularly when temperatures spike during summer heatwaves!

Harvesting

Arugula plants are among the easiest plants to cultivate from seeds, responding well to heat. Since Arugula loves being exposed to sunlight, make sure there’s plenty of space and don’t worry about competition from weeds!

Arugula leaves are a tasty cool-weather crop that can be eaten both raw or cooked, boasting its signature spicy peppery taste that adds zest to salads, soups, pasta dishes, as well as fillers for hydroponic and soilless gardens.

As is the case with other leafy greens, arugula grows quickly and requires minimal extra care beyond providing nutritious soil. You should, however, avoid allowing it to bolt (send up flowers and go to seed), which would render its appearance less appealing and reduce yield.

As temperatures in late spring and summer increase, arugula will quickly break its flowering threshold. This happens because its plants are sensitive to temperature and light; when they sense that days are warming up they stop producing leaves in favor of producing flowers and seeds instead.

To keep your arugula harvesting fresh, harvest its leaves as soon as they reach two or three inches long. Pinching off one or two leaves is easy or you could cut the entire plant with shears if necessary. For optimal results, avoid harvesting in direct sunlight and try not cutting more than a third of its leaves at any given time to protect its longevity.

Preventing pests

As with other leafy greens, arugula should be harvested before its plants start to bolt – this serves as an important rule when planning your garden, since any plant that bolts will quickly lose flavor and become bitter. If you decide to let arugula and other salad greens reach maturity anyway, try to delay their bolting by providing shade on hot days, keeping soil moisture at an appropriate level, pruning regularly and mulching frequently – also planting “interrupters” such as parsley and chives that help by interfering with flea beetles and cabbage loopers!

Arugula and other quick salad leaves thrive when planted directly into the garden; they can also do very well when started indoors, provided that transplanting doesn’t happen quickly enough. When starting them this way it’s best done in the evening or when temperatures are cool; early spring temperatures might prevent germination, so I use frost covers or row covers as protective covering until sprouting occurs – cutting time between sowing and harvest by half! I have used this strategy with many quick-growing crops.