Arugula (Rocket)

An Intro to Arugula

MY STATUS: Grown Successfully to Harvest   

Arugula, also called rocket, is a leafy lettuce-like plant that is native to the Mediterranean and is eaten raw in salads or used as a topping on pizza. It has a sharp, peppery flavor.

SOIL

The plant grows well in relatively dry, loose soil.

HOW MUCH SUN?

Arugula likes cooler weather than Pohnpei has to offer. It can be grown here, but because it is sensitive to heat, give it direct sun only early in the morning before the temperature rises. Keep it in open shade for the rest of the day. If the plants get too hot, they'll go to the seed and the leaves will be bitter. Or even worse--they'll just wither and die. On very hot days, it helps to mist the leaves with cold water.

HOW MUCH WATER?

Water deeply and allow the soil to nearly dry out before watering again.

GROWING IN CONTAINERS

Arugula is very container-friendly. A medium-sized pot works fine. Or you can start it out in a smaller one and transplant as necessary. Make sure it has good drainage. Leafy greens never do well with water-logging.

PESTS

Arugula has few enemies. If you're growing the plants in pots on a porch, they should be safe from slugs and caterpillers.

PICK OFTEN

Cutting leaves when they are small and tender is the best tactic. Young leaves are more flavorful, and the constant picking will stimulate the plant's growth.

FERTILIZE

Like most lettuces, arugula does best when compost or fertilizer is added on a regular basis (once a week)--especially when growing in containers. I use a fish emulsion most of the time, but high nitrogen fertilizers, like chicken or steer manure, work will with plants grown for their leaves.

HARVESTING

Arugula should be ready to pick about 2 months after germination. Individual leaves can be picked as needed. Cut them off near the base.

What I Did

DAY 1 - SOWING

I sowed my Ferry-Morse StartSmart seeds in a shallow, rectangular container. I put a thin layer of gravel on the bottom and filled the rest with a standard mix of potting soil. Seeds were sprinkled on the surface and covered with a thin layer of soil. The container was kept in full sun until germination, after which it was moved to a shady spot. I put it in the sun early in the morning.

DAY 8 - GERMINATION

The arugula took about three times as long to germinate as some of the other greens I sowed, probably due to its aversion to heat.

DAY 12

The seedlings have increased in size and some are starting to see the development of true leaves.

DAY 19

After a period of hot, sunny weather, many of the seedlings shriveled or wilted. I pulled those out. Those that have survived are growing very, very slowly.

DAY 49

Development has been very slow, but several plants have survived. I give them about an hour of direct sun early in the morning and keep them in open shade the rest of the time. These plants are very prone to heat-wilt. They can't handle direct Pohnpeian sun any time after about 9 AM. I transplanted the best-looking plants into their own pot. Transplant in the early evening and keep the plants in shade for a few days before gradually acclimating them to some sun.

DAY 64

One of the things that's surprising about my plants at the moment is that the leaves have turned a reddish color! That makes me wonder if I didn't get these mixed up and mis-identified them (they were grown from a mesclun seed mix). I've never seen photos of red-hued arugula, but the shape of the leaves is spot-on. But, really, who knows? Pohnpei's heat and humidity might be doing something different. As long as the leaves taste good and the plants keep growing, I suppose I don't really care.

DAY 90 - STILL GOING (8/22)

The arugula has grown much lower than the other greens, but that may be a good thing. It's still producing leaves happily, where some of the faster growing lettuces are looking like they are in the first stages of bolting...which means they don't have long to live. This arugula his pretty mild, but I've enjoyed it. I also like that all the plants seem to have slightly different coloration. Some are red, some green, some mixed. Beautiful.