Possessing certain knowledge, you can easily grow greens or even vegetables on the windowsill at home. Arugula is often grown in such an improvised garden. About that, how to grow arugula on the windowsill, our article will tell in detail.
features of cultivation
Before you start growing such a plant at home, like arugula, it is necessary to understand all the intricacies of this process. Only this will help achieve the desired result with minimal effort, time and nerves.
What is arugula? This is an annual plant, which belongs to the Cabbage family. Is a precocious vegetable. This is a kind of leafy greens. This culture is becoming more and more popular among gardeners every year due to its unusual and refined taste. This is also a very useful greens. Culture came to our country from the Mediterranean coast.
When growing these greens on the windowsill you need to know the following things:
- the soil should be used slightly alkaline or neutral. You can apply the soil after pumpkin or legumes. But you can also prepare the appropriate soil, mixing sand, humus and sod land in the ratio 1: 2: 2;
- the soil must be decontaminated. It is best to roast it in the oven for 30 minutes;
- be sure to fill the bottom of the selected tank with drainage. Pebbles can act in its role, expanded clay or broken bricks;
- the plant needs good lighting. Therefore it is necessary to give preference to window sills, located on the south side of the house. If the light in the house is not enough, it is necessary to arrange additional illumination by means of usual daylight lamps. The light source should be at a distance from the greenery 60 cm;
- direct sunlight should not fall on the arugula. Therefore, a screen should be provided around the pot. You can use sheets of white plain paper. It should be used to block the upper part of the window opening.
In principle, these are all nuances, which you should know about, if you decide to grow this plant at home. Small additions to agronomic techniques may appear when growing specific varieties. However, they are usually insignificant and their ignorance will not lead to serious consequences for the ripening of future crops..
Experts recommend when choosing varieties of arugula for growing in the house or apartment, prefer such varieties, as Sicily, Rocket and Corsica. These are precocious varieties. Therefore, they will be able to please their harvest about 35-38 days after the procedure of planting seeds in the prepared soil.
However, do not forget about it, that the success of the whole enterprise here will depend on the correctness of each stage (selection of seeds, their sowing and further care of sprouted seedlings). Only if you follow all the recommendations at each stage of the output you will get delicious and very useful greens. And from improper care first of all the useful qualities of greens worsen.
Useful Properties Video
In the video you will learn about the useful properties of arugula.
sowing
The beginning of growing any crop at home or in the garden always begins with the selection of seed. Arugula seeds can be purchased at a specialty store, receive as a gift from neighbors or prepare yourself. In any case, the main thing, so that the seed is healthy and disinfected. Otherwise you can get in a lot of trouble, when the plant starts to hurt.
Planting of selected arugula seeds is carried out by surface sowing. It is carried out as follows:
- seeds are decomposed on moist soil;
- there should be a gap between the seeds 3 centimeters;
- then they are sprinkled with a small layer of earth. The layer of soil poured on top should be about thick 1-1,5 centimeters;
- then the ground should be well watered with settled warm water. And for watering you should use a spray. This will evenly distribute moisture over the entire soil surface.
The choice of tank type should be made depending on, how many plants do you intend to grow. If a little, then you can use a flower pot. Preferring a pot, it is necessary to choose capacities with height of walls no more 12 centimeters. At the same time the layer of the earth needs to be filled up on height 6-7 centimeters. In the situation, when you intend to break the house of a small garden, it is better to use elongated plastic trays or wooden boxes.
Containers with seeds should be placed in a warm place. They can be installed near the batteries. This culture will feel good at a large temperature range from +10 to +25 degrees.
After sowing the seeds, it is recommended to cover the container with glass or film. Then place the seedlings in a dark place. Under such conditions, the first shoots will appear in about a year 5-6 days. During this period, the film must be periodically bent, to ventilate the soil. When the stairs hatched, film or glass is removed from the container. The pot or box should be placed in a well-lit place. This will be a permanent place of cultivation. Therefore, his choice must be approached responsibly, evaluating all the pros and cons.
watering
Arugula should be watered abundantly. But at the same time adhering to reasonable limits. Therefore, it is recommended to water the plantings every day, using a sprayer. In general, almost all further care of greens is reduced to daily watering.
Care and nutrition
When breeding arugula at home you need to watch, so that the greens do not pull out. Its color should always be saturated. Any changes in the color scheme or length of the leaves indicate the wrong light regime. Installing additional lighting will help solve any lighting problems. It is especially important for plants, grown in winter. At this time, the additional backlight should compensate for about four hours, which are added to the natural light regime.
Caring for this culture needs to be understood, that it absorbs any substances very quickly, falling with water into the soil. For this reason, experts do not recommend feeding arugula. After all, if you use chemical fertilizers, all toxic and toxic to humans substances (example, nitrates) will quickly accumulate in the green. At the same time all useful properties are leveled. As such, it will not be edible and all efforts to grow it will be in vain. Therefore, make in the container, in which arugula grows mineral and organic fertilizers in any case is not possible.
Arugula is very easy to care for. Therefore, anyone can grow it without any problems, which has nothing to do with the garden and vegetable garden, but loving delicious, healthy and wholesome food.
Harvesting
If the care of the arugula ladder was organized correctly, then through 8-10 days you can harvest the first crop. After all, the plant grows very quickly and a week and a half will be enough for that, to form young and vitamin-filled leaves. They will be a great addition to any salad.
You can actively pluck the leaves after that, as they reached a height in 10 centimeters. Although you can find information, that the harvest of this crop should be carried out in a month after sowing planting material.
It should be noted, that when assembling ripe greens should not wait for the flowering plant. Harvesting should be carried out as needed. If you do not lean too much on the greens, then it may be enough for about 45 days.
After the arugula has faded and most of the leaves have been plucked, you can sow the vacated container again. With this approach, there will always be fresh greens on your table, which contains a large number of vitamins.
As we see, Growing arugula at home is a very simple process. It can even be called an ideal culture, great for growing on the windowsill. It requires minimal care, which consists only in the right light mode and daily watering. Planting this crop in a flower pot, you will always have a source of vitamins, as well as a delicious and fresh ingredient for culinary masterpieces.
Video "Growing"
You will learn from the video, how to grow arugula greens at home.