The Many Benefits of Growing Arugula in Your Garden

Arugula is an easy-to-grow leafy green that can be a delicious addition to salads, sandwiches, pestos, and more. Though it may not be as popular as lettuce or spinach, arugula offers many benefits that make it worth including in your home vegetable garden In this article, we’ll explore why you should consider planting arugula and how to grow it successfully.

Arugula also known as rocket or roquette is a fast-growing, nutrient-dense green. It has long, tender leaves with a distinctive peppery bite. The leaves can range from dark green to purple-tinged depending on the variety.

This salad green likely originated in the Mediterranean region though it has become popular worldwide. In many parts of Europe and the Middle East arugula is more widely consumed than lettuce.

When harvested young, arugula leaves make a tangy addition to salads and sandwiches. Mature leaves can be chopped and added to pastas, pizzas, pesto, and more. The flowers and flower buds are also edible and make lovely garnishes.

Top Reasons to Grow Arugula

Here are some of the top benefits of growing arugula in your home garden:

• Quick harvest: Arugula is a fast growing green, ready to start harvesting in just 3-4 weeks from seeding. You can get multiple cuttings from one planting.

• Cold hardy: Arugula thrives in cool weather. It can be planted in early spring and late fall when many other greens would bolt or die.

• Word quickly: Surprisingly, arugula seed needs light to germinate. Simply sprinkle seeds onto prepared soil; no need to cover them.

• Reseeds easily: Allow one or two plants to bolt to collect seed. The seed pods will dry, open, and drop new seeds, giving you a self-sowing crop.

• Attracts beneficial insects: The small flowers attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to your garden.

• Deters pests: The strong scent of arugula deters many common pests like cabbage worms and aphids. It makes a great companion plant.

• Nutrient-packed: Arugula provides vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like calcium and iron. It also contains beneficial phytochemicals.

• Delicious flavor: The zesty, peppery flavor adds wonderful taste and texture to a variety of dishes.

How to Grow Arugula

Arugula thrives when directly sown in the garden bed. Here’s a simple overview of how to grow it:

Location: Arugula prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade, especially in hot climates. Choose a spot that gets 6+ hours of sun.

Soil: It grows well in most soils but prefers nutrient-rich, well-draining soil amended with compost. The ideal pH range is 6.0-7.0.

Planting: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep, 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Space rows 12-15 inches apart. Thin seedlings to 3-6 inches apart.

Care: Keep soil consistently moist. Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture. Side dress with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer once or twice during growth.

Harvesting: Begin harvesting outer leaves when they reach 3-4 inches long. Cut the whole plant 1-2 inches above the soil line for a cut-and-come-again crop.

How to Use Homegrown Arugula

The tender young leaves of arugula make a spicy addition to salads and sandwiches. Here are some more ways to enjoy your homegrown crop:

• Make pesto with arugula in place of traditional basil.

• Mix chopped arugula into pasta, grain bowls, frittatas, and omelets.

• Add arugula to pizza and flatbreads just before baking.

• Use instead of lettuce on sandwiches and burgers for a peppery crunch.

• Sauté mature leaves in olive oil with garlic and seasonings as a hearty side dish.

• Blend into hummus, herb butters, and green sauces for a flavor boost.

• Stir chopped leaves into soups and stews at the very end.

• Layer arugula leaves with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic reduction for an easy appetizer.

• Grill large leaves lightly to mellow their bite and bring out sweet, nutty notes.

Companion Planting with Arugula

In addition to harvesting leaves for eating, arugula makes an excellent companion plant in the garden. Here’s how to use it:

Natural pest control: Interplant with brassicas like broccoli and kale. The strong scent helps deter pests like cabbage worms and aphids.

Living mulch: Sow around taller veggies like tomatoes, beans, and peppers. The low-growing greens will fill in bare space while protecting soil.

Nutrient accumulator: Grow in empty beds to pull nutrients up from deep in the soil, then chop and dig it in as green manure.

Trap crop: Plant near crops susceptible to flea beetles, like eggplant and cucumber. Arugula will draw them away.

Nurse crop: Pair fast-growing arugula with slower veggies like carrots and onions to shade bare soil and suppress weeds.

Maximizing Growth and Flavor

Follow these tips to get the highest yields and best tasting arugula from your garden:

• Provide consistent moisture, especially in hot weather, to prevent bitter or spicy flavors from developing.

• Cut leafy tops often to encourage tender new growth. Allow some plants to bolt for self-sown seeds.

• Grow in fall through early winter when cool weather brings out milder, nuttier flavor in the leaves.

• Add a layer of straw or leaf mulch in summer to keep roots cooler and deter pests.

• Mix in compost teas or fish emulsion when planting and again halfway through growth to boost nutrients.

• Harvest leaves early in the morning after the dew dries for maximum crispness and flavor.

• Pinch or snip off any flowers buds as they appear to prolong leaf production in spring plantings.

• Sow a new patch every 2-3 weeks for a continuous supply. Staggered plantings prevent gluts or gaps.

• Cut whole plants back to 1-2 inches and water to produce a second or third flush of leaves from regrowth.

Common Pests and Diseases

Despite naturally deterring some pests, arugula can still fall victim to some common vegetable garden bugs and diseases. Here’s how to prevent and manage them:

Flea beetles: These small black or bronze beetles chew tiny holes in leaves. Use row covers, apply beneficial nematodes, or spray with neem oil.

Slugs and snails: These leaf-munching mollusks can skeletonize plants overnight. Hand pick them off plants, set out beer traps, or apply iron phosphate bait.

Caterpillars: Several types of moth larvae or caterpillars may feed on arugula. Pick them off by hand or apply Bacillus thuringiensis or spinosad products.

Damping off: Fungal disease that kills seedlings. Avoid wet soil and crowded planting. Allow soil to dry between waterings.

Clubroot: Causes distorted, club-shaped roots that restrict nutrient flow. Solarize soil and rotate planting areas to prevent this disease.

Downy mildew: This fungal infection spreads quickly in cool, wet conditions. Improving air circulation and spacing can help prevent it.

Bolting: Premature flowering triggered by heat or cold stress. Choose bolt-resistant varieties. Maintain even soil moisture and temperatures.

The Many Benefits of Homegrown Arugula

As you can see, arugula is a versatile, trouble-free crop that’s worth including in any vegetable plot. The speedy growth, pest deterring abilities, and tangy flavor are just a few of the many benefits this incredible green offers the home gardener.

For an easy-care salad green that packs a nutritional punch, make a bit of space for arugula. Both you and your garden will reap rewards from this underappreciated superfood.