Italians do not represent their cuisine without arugula, and for us it has only recently been outlandish and quite expensive greens.
Today, you can simply buy it in the store, and it is becoming increasingly popular.
Juicy aromatic arugula for salad can now be grown without problems on a windowsill at home.
- How useful arugula
- Choosing a variety of arugula for cultivation on the windowsill
- We select the landing capacity
- Soil for growing arugula
- Sowing Arugula Seeds
- Conditions for germinating seeds
- Arugula care at home
- Regular watering
- Lighting
- Harvesting: cutting arugula leaves
How useful arugula
Indau, Eruk, Caterpillar and Arugula - the names of one plant, eruki planting from the Cabbage family. This is a very common salad culture in the Mediterranean. Juicy leaves of arugula have a sour, slightly pungent taste and a spicy mustard-nut flavor. They are used in salads, appetizers, sauces, soups.
Arugula is rich in vitamins (E, group B, C, A, K) and minerals (zinc, magnesium, selenium, sodium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron). Due to this composition, it has a positive effect on metabolism, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, increases hemoglobin, strengthens the nervous system.
Arugula is useful for people suffering from diabetes and obesity. Due to its low calorie content and beneficial composition, it can be used in dietary nutrition. Also arugula helps to improve the protective functions, improves digestion, tones the body. The plant is considered a strong aphrodisiac.
In order for arugula to benefit the body and harm was minimal, you need to remember some limitations. It should be used with caution by people with gastritis, kidney and liver diseases that are prone to allergies. Opinions differ on whether arugula can be pregnant: on the one hand, it is a storehouse of nutrients, on the other - a possible allergen.
Choosing a variety of arugula for cultivation on the windowsill
Once you have decided to grow arugula on the windowsill, the first step for this is to buy seeds. They can be purchased at a specialty store, but it is important to know that a grown plant may not be completely arugula. 
Under this name you can find the seeds of two plants of the cabbage family (Cruciferous) - Indow sowing (Eruca sativa) and fine-leaved two-rows (or thin-leaved two-row, Diplotaxis tenuifolia). The second plant is also called "wild arugula", it is not cultivated, but is grown and used for food along with arugula.
You can distinguish them in appearance: in the Indau leaves are wide and with wavy edges and white, white-pink or pale cream flowers with purple veins; at the two-rows - long, narrow, strongly dissected leaves, flowers yellow or creamy-yellow.
Early varieties of arugula Koltivata, Rococo, Poker and wild arugula-two-row Solitaire can please with fresh greens 20-25 days after disembarkation. In 30-35 days, middle-ripening varieties of arugula Corsica and Sicily, as well as Rocket and Euphoria two-rowies, yield.
We select the landing capacity
Arugula on the window can successfully grow in any capacity: in a wooden box, plastic tray, flower pot, cup. If you want to build a mini-vegetable garden, you will need a large capacity, but in any case it should have a depth of 10-12 cm. In the container for planting there must be holes for draining excess liquid.
Soil for growing arugula
Before planting the seeds of arugula, you need to prepare the soil mixture. The plant is not particularly demanding on the composition of the soil. The easiest way is to buy ready-made soil, universal or for seedlings, which contains nitrogen and phosphorus.
But if you want to do everything yourself, Take 2 parts of sod land, 2 parts of humus and 1 part of sand. If the earth is too acidic, it must be mixed with lime.
In the tank, you must first put a layer of drainage of expanded clay, pebbles or broken brick, so that excess moisture can drain. The soil in the tank should be filled to a height of at least 6-7 cm.
Sowing Arugula Seeds
Arugula can be multiplied on its window sill by growing from seeds.Do not soak them. 
The prepared soil in the tank is moistened. Seeds are sown in rows at a distance of 3 cm or in wells of 2 pcs. From above, seeds are sprinkled with a layer (1-1.5 cm) of earth, moistened with warm water from a spray bottle and covered with glass or film (this is not necessary, germination is sufficient at room temperature, at 16-18 ° C sprouts appear after 5 days).
Conditions for germinating seeds
After sowing, we put the container near the heating battery or directly on the window sill. If there is additional shelter, periodically it must be removed for airing. The soil is moistened with an atomizer. After 3-7 days, the first shoots appear. They do not need a protective shelter, and the box can be moved to a permanent place. It is not necessary to feed the plant with chemical substrates, it will take everything it needs from the soil.
Arugula care at home
Caring for plants on the windowsill is easy. They need only time to water.
Regular watering
Arugula on the windowsill grows juicy, subject to timely and proper watering. With a lack of moisture leaves will be very bitter. 
The frequency of irrigation depends on soil moisture. The soil in the pot should not dry out. In the first 10 days, the soil should be slightly damp, should be watered once every two days. The next 20 days should be plentifully watered every day. After 30 days watering should be moderate and daily.
Lighting
A mini garden with sprouts should receive a lot of light. Remember that if your window is not on the sunny side, such lighting for arugula will be insufficient.
In this case, not be superfluous artificial lighting. Fluorescent lamps can be attached at a distance of 50-60 cm above the shoots. It should be spent the whole day in gloomy weather, a few hours in the winter.
Harvesting: cutting arugula leaves
Arugula in the pot will give the first harvest about a month after planting. It can be collected when the leaves reach a height of 10 cm. As required, immediately before use, individual leaves are cut or plucked. If you do it neatly and evenly, you can enjoy the spicy taste of arugula in your kitchen for up to 45 days.
