The popularity of this salad culture surprises today. Meanwhile, arugula (to inda of sowing campaign, eruk sowing campaign, mustard salad, the Italian dandelion) - the close relative our cabbage also belongs to family of cruciferae family. Seeing small packings with green leaves in supermarkets and the high prices, there is a wish to share simple secrets of cultivation of arugula during the autumn and winter period of the house.
Arugula, as well as all salad cultures, is undemanding to cultivation conditions. In three-four weeks it is possible to expel quite good fragrant nutritious leaves in house conditions. What it is necessary to pay attention to:
Seeds
In shops the seeds are on sale under various names: Indau, Eruka salad, Eruka forest, Roket-salat. Culture this fast-growing and therefore for ripeness terms (early, early ripening, etc.) you should not focus attention.
Soil
It is the simplest to buy package of ready soil in shop. It has to be friable, have neutral (subacidic) reaction. It is possible to prepare too. To mix the cespitose earth (to dig out, for example, in forest belt under birches, far from highways), humus, sand. The pochvosmes will ""be fatter"", but also is more dense. It is necessary to loosen after each watering the soil under plants. From the kitchen garden you should not take soil because of the probability of infection with various fungal infections. Fertilizers cannot be used as this salad incorporates nitrates as sponge.
How to sow?
Any low pots, plastic containers, boxes will be suitable for crops. In a word, any container with height not less than 8...10 cm will approach. In lower container the earth quickly dries up that arugula does not love. So, in the prepared container we fill the soil almost to the brim. It will settle.
We plan rows (depth about 1 cm), we spill them accurately warm water, we do not do ""swamp"". Then we display not densely seeds and we powder from above with the soil. It is possible to seed and simply, having scattered chaotically seeds on the surface of the humidified soil. That shoots were amicable, we cover from above with plastic bag. We put to the dark place. Later 3... 5 days seeds ascend.
We remove film and we expose on the lightest windowsill. Arugula loves a lot of light. At insufficient lighting the seedlings are extended and do not gain aroma. It is possible to resort to additional lighting by fluorescent lamps.
Care for arugula
In process of growth of seedlings it increase watering. Week later thickened weak plants delete, releasing the area of power supply for stronger. If houses hot and chilly, then the thicket has to water. But also the modulation to arugula will do much harm. The most favorable temperature for growth of 18...20 OS. Through 10... 15 days it is possible to start the first sparing cutting of lettuce leaves. It means that the point of growth should be kept. Thus the second wave of nutritious leaves will grow up.
Advantage and pleasure
Leaves of arugula contain the mass of useful nutrients. And in winter time will bring unique taste and aroma in the prepared dishes, will raise appetite, will strengthen immunity. Leaves as additive in salads, pizza, in any sandwiches, in curd pastes and cheese are especially good. Arugula is perfectly combined with fish, meat dishes, with seafood.