Arugola: sowing, growing and harvesting
Arugola leaves have a spicy and nutty flavor and are packed with vitamins and minerals. You can sow the plants almost all year long, in the sun or shade.
What is arugola?
Arugola - also known as rocket or mustard greens - is a spicy leafy vegetable. Delicious in salads, on your pizza, or in a sandwich. The plants are cruciferous - part of the cabbage family.
Since the young leaves are the tastiest and the plants grow very quickly, we sow them several times a year.
Since the young leaves are the tastiest and the plants grow very quickly, we sow them several times a year.
More about arugola
Arugola is a spicy, leafy green with a nutty flavor. Our arugola has larger leaves than most varieties that you find in stores.
It grows quickly and is problem-free. If the weather is good, you can harvest young arugola leaves just 4 weeks after sowing.
- Species name: arugola
- Family: cruciferae
- Plants per square patch: 9
- Height: 15 to 20 cm
- Sowing time: March - September
- Sowing depth: 0.5 to 1 cm
- Time to harvest: after 4 weeks
- Germination time: between 5 and 22°C in 3 to 11 days
- Sunlight: can grow in the sun or shade
Want to buy arugola seeds? We sell the bags separately, or, you can also find the seeds in one of our seed packs:
Arugola is super healthy
The leaves are packed with vitamins and minerals: lots of vitamin K, C, B11 (folic acid), iron, calcium, manganese, and beta-carotene, which helps your body produce vitamin A.
The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in arugola also help your body protect itself from harmful UV rays.
The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in arugola also help your body protect itself from harmful UV rays.
What do you need to grow your own arugola?
This is it:
- a 30x30 cm garden patch with airy, nutrient-rich soil mix
- arugola seeds
- a place with at least 4 hours of sunlight a day
In other words, a MM-Mini, or a square patch in one of our garden boxes, filled with MM-Mix.
Growing arugola in this perfect soil mix is super easy. If you use poor-quality (potting) soil, it's much harder and the results will be disappointing. So just go for the best.
Growing arugola in this perfect soil mix is super easy. If you use poor-quality (potting) soil, it's much harder and the results will be disappointing. So just go for the best.
How to sow and grow arugola?
Our arugola is included in the free Makkelijke Moestuin app. Use it, and you get step-by-step guidance from seed to harvest.
Each vegetable goes through a number of stages: we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and checks in when your plants are ready for the next one.
So you do not need to know how to grow arugola when you start: the app takes you through every step.
But if you would like to read more about those steps, here is what the process looks like:
Each vegetable goes through a number of stages: we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and checks in when your plants are ready for the next one.
So you do not need to know how to grow arugola when you start: the app takes you through every step.
But if you would like to read more about those steps, here is what the process looks like:
Level 1: Sowing arugola
Choose a square patch in the first or second row of your garden box. Loosen up the damp MM-Mix and sow like this:
- poke 9 holes in the patch (no deeper than 1 cm)
- put 2 to 3 seeds in each hole
- carefully cover up the holes with soil mix
After about 3 - 11 days, you'll see something green come up. It depends a bit on the weather.
Level 2: Arugola seedlings
As soon as you see the first seedlings come up, you know it's going well. They probably won't all show up at once, but after about 5 days, most of them will.
Then it's time for the next level.
Then it's time for the next level.
Level 3: Thinning arugola seedlings
More than one seedling may come up in each spot you sowed. Choose the best seedling per spot and remove the rest: that's called thinning out.
It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. The remaining plants will have the room they need to grow. You'll end up with 9 strong arugola plants.
It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. The remaining plants will have the room they need to grow. You'll end up with 9 strong arugola plants.
Level 4: Caring for your arugola plants
After a week or 2, your seedlings will become small plants.
You hardly need to do anything: if the weather's dry, give them some water and remove the odd dead or yellow leaf. Easy 🙂
Then it's time for:
You hardly need to do anything: if the weather's dry, give them some water and remove the odd dead or yellow leaf. Easy 🙂
Then it's time for:
Level 5: Harvesting
About 4 to 6 weeks after sowing, you can start to harvest your arugola.
You harvest the leaves by cutting or picking them close to the ground or stem. If you leave the center of the plants, the arugola will keep producing new leaves.
Some stems may start to flower. Cut them off right away: the plants will produce fewer leaves and have a sharper taste.
You harvest the leaves by cutting or picking them close to the ground or stem. If you leave the center of the plants, the arugola will keep producing new leaves.
Some stems may start to flower. Cut them off right away: the plants will produce fewer leaves and have a sharper taste.
Keep watering your plants as well: too little water also makes arugola less tasty.
What do you use arugola for?
You can do all sorts of things with young arugola leaves. They're delicious raw in a salad or on a sandwich.
Medium-sized leaves are great with hot dishes. For example: make a pizza and toss the raw leaves on top when it's ready.
Older arugola leaves are best when cooked: they have a sharper taste the older they get, but the heat evens that out. Add them to your mashed potatoes or stir fry: delicious!
Medium-sized leaves are great with hot dishes. For example: make a pizza and toss the raw leaves on top when it's ready.
Older arugola leaves are best when cooked: they have a sharper taste the older they get, but the heat evens that out. Add them to your mashed potatoes or stir fry: delicious!
Need some inspiration? Try young arugola raw in a salad or sandwich, scatter it over a pizza after baking, or stir larger leaves through mashed potatoes or a quick stir-fry.
The last levels
Keep harvesting arugola for as long as you still like the taste.
As a rule of thumb, young arugola is delicious, then it becomes good, then okay, and eventually not really worth eating. So it is up to you how long you keep harvesting.
In the final level, empty the square in your garden box or MM-Mini and get it ready for the next crop.
As a rule of thumb, young arugola is delicious, then it becomes good, then okay, and eventually not really worth eating. So it is up to you how long you keep harvesting.
In the final level, empty the square in your garden box or MM-Mini and get it ready for the next crop.
So, thinking of growing your own arugola?
Go for it.
It is easy and gives a big harvest from a small space. With our materials and the app, it is very hard to go wrong.
You can order arugola seeds here, or get started with a complete set:
It is easy and gives a big harvest from a small space. With our materials and the app, it is very hard to go wrong.
You can order arugola seeds here, or get started with a complete set:
Enjoy!
