How to grow arugula at home?

How to grow arugula at home

The annual rucola plant (salad eruka, rocket salad, sowing caterpillar, arugula) belongs to the early ripening vegetables of the cabbage family. This type of leafy vegetable garden, which has become especially popular recently due to its exquisite unusual taste and super health benefits, came to us from the Mediterranean coast. Today, rucola is successfully used not only in the Mediterranean, but also in the cuisines of many continents and countries (America, Asia, Europe).

Benefits of arugula

Rucola leaves spice up any dish, be it fresh vegetable salad, pasta sauce, meat dishes or risotto. The delicate nutty-mustard flavor of the plant is due to the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids and essential oils. Eating arugula in food has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes, tones the body, stimulates digestion, enhances intestinal motility and the elimination of decay products. Thanks to its unique composition, the herb increases hemoglobin levels and activates the immune system.

Not everyone has garden plots, but many would like to regularly feast on this greenery, so in this article we will try to illuminate the question of how to grow arugula at home. A trendy salad is quite unpretentious and does not require special agronomic skills and knowledge. Just follow the advice of seasoned gardeners, and you will be assured of an excellent harvest of fragrant leaves at any time of the year.

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How to grow arugula on a windowsill

Arugula seeds are bought at any specialty store. Early ripening varieties Koltivata, Solitaire, Rococo give a harvest quickly enough (after about three weeks), and mid-ripening varieties - Corsica, Sicily ripen in 30-35 days. Different varieties differ not only in the emergence time, but also in the size, shape and color of the leaves, as well as the taste, which can be delicate nutty, with bitterness or spicy.

Pot and soil preparation

To grow arugula on the windowsill, a pot, like any other container, must have a drainage layer (expanded clay, broken brick) and holes to remove excess moisture. The dimensions of the container for a mini-garden are selected based on the area of ​​the window sill. The height of the pot should not be less than 12 cm. The soil layer is covered with a height of at least 6-7 cm.

Arugula is unassuming and undemanding to the soil, the main thing is that the earth is sufficiently loose, moisture-permeable and always moist. The soil can be used universal, or it can be specially designed for seedlings. Such soil contains phosphorus and nitrogen in the right proportions, which has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of any plants, including arugula.

Sowing arugula

The seeds are laid out in rows on the surface of a well-moistened earth, observing a step of 3 cm. On top of them, they are covered with a layer of dry earth (1-1.5 cm), after which the soil is qualitatively treated with warm, settled water from a sprayer. This initial watering method helps to distribute moisture evenly over the entire soil surface.

The box (container) should be covered with any film or glass and placed in a warm place, for example, near a heating battery, or directly on the windowsill, especially if it is sunny days. Rucola feels great at a fairly wide temperature range (from + 10 ° C to + 25 ° C).

Illumination

In order to properly grow arugula on the windowsill, the windows must face the sunny side, since all leafy greens love the maximum amount of light. If you do not have the opportunity to set up a mini-garden on a south-facing window, then lighting can also be created artificially, which will not affect the yield in any way.

Above the surface of the plants at a distance of about half a meter, you can attach lighting devices, such as fluorescent lamps. In winter and in cloudy weather, supplementary lighting should be carried out all day. The rest of the time, for the normal development of greenery, it is enough to increase the daylight hours by several hours.

Arugula care

Do not forget to moisten the soil with a spray bottle every day, removing the film and airing the plantings. The first shoots appear very quickly (3-7 days), which is a signal to remove the protective coating and place the container in its permanent place.

Now the whole process of caring for your green pets comes down to regular watering. The plant very quickly absorbs all substances from the soil, so it is not recommended to feed with various chemical substrates.

Arugula harvest

When the leaves reach a height of 10 cm, you can begin to actively feast on the spicy grass. Do not wait until it blooms, as in the photo at the beginning of the article :) Harvested as needed, immediately before adding to culinary dishes (this is how all the nutrients are preserved to the maximum), tearing off the green leaves of the original corrugated shape. With even, gentle cutting off, rucola can delight you with its greens for up to 45 days!

As you can see, it will not be difficult to grow arugula on the windowsill. You just have to decide on this crucial step and in a month you will enjoy the magnificent appearance and taste of this exotic spice.

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Mila Nabogova "How to grow arugula at home" specially for the Eco-life website.

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Rucola is a herbal aphrodisiac and green doctor that protects against diseases of the thyroid and prostate gland, normalizes hemoglobin levels and removes edema. The leaves, with a spicy nut-mustard flavor, turn common salads and soups into culinary creations. It is better to grow the spice on the windowsill, because in the garden it is attacked by a cruciferous flea that can destroy the entire crop in a matter of hours.

The choice of planting material

Arugula is sold in shops for summer residents. The seeds are processed before being packaged in bags, so they do not need disinfection and dressing. The harvest will ripen in 25-30 days if you choose early varieties. Mid-season varieties are ready to eat after 35 days. It is recommended to plant arugula in boxes or pots at intervals so that there is always fresh greens in the house.

Seasoning enthusiasts can reject empty casings by submerging the seeds for planting in a saline solution.The sediment is used to grow the plant, and the material floating on the surface is poured into the sink along with the water.

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Soil preparation

Some experienced summer residents recommend buying land in specialized stores. The soil should be designed for growing seedlings, not indoor flowers. This variety is enriched with phosphorus and nitrogenous components, so the arugula will turn out to be strong, and the harvest will be rich.

Ordinary black soil from the garden bed, on which pumpkin or legumes grew, is also suitable. The plant loves slightly alkaline, and preferably neutral soil. Dies if there are peat impurities in the base.

A homemade version made from sod land, humus and sand is suitable. The first and second components are in equal proportions, the third will be needed less. The main thing is that the soil is crumbly and loose.

Arugula must be protected from fungus and pests by calcining the ground in the oven. Half an hour at the highest possible temperature. An alternative is boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate, which is poured over the earth. After disinfection, the base is insisted for 1-2 weeks so that beneficial microorganisms appear in it.

What boxes to use

Arugula is unpretentious, takes root in almost any container. Wooden boxes, plastic containers or flower pots are suitable, and milk bags can be turned into a mini-vegetable garden. The height of the sides should be at least 12 cm. Holes at the bottom are required, through which excess moisture will leave and air to the roots.

The boxes are placed on stands or trays so as not to stain the windowsill. The width of the container depends on the size of the window on which the seasoning will grow. The pots are moved closer to the glass so that the plant receives a lot of sun.

Important: Do not plant arugula in peat pots or tablets, because it dies in acidic soil.

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Preparation and disembarkation

It is recommended to start planting seeds in March, when there are more sunny days. In winter, without additional illumination, the plant grows slowly, stretches upward, weakens and withers quickly.

A drainage layer is indispensable. Crushed brick will come in handy, you can pick up small pebbles or rub a piece of styrofoam. Pour broken earthenware or coarse sand into the pot. How thick should the drainage layer be? Approximately 1.5–2 cm plus 6–8 cm of soil, which is tamped lightly.

Seeds that have been in a saline solution are washed and dried. The earth is moistened with a spray bottle, shallow holes or rows can be made, but this is not necessary. Step back 3 cm from each seed so that the arugula has room for growth.

Pick up the planting material with a damp match, put it in the ground. When all the seeds are in the box, sprinkle with warm water from a spray bottle. A watering can for flowers will not work, because it erodes the soil. Sprinkle on top with a centimeter layer of earth, lightly press it down with a spatula, and close each box or pot with a plastic bag. Trash bags will come in handy, you can use glass instead of a lid.

Arugula care before the first shoots

Seeds that are in the ground do not need sun. Containers with arugula should be placed in a warm room without drafts, in which the temperature does not drop below +18 degrees, otherwise the seedlings will be weak.

The soil must remain moist. If it dries up, it is slightly moistened with a spray bottle. Waterlogged soil is ideal for the development of fungi, so the plant is watered sparingly, preferably not more than once every two days.

Light and warm

After 5-7 days, the first tender sprouts hatch, which need the sun. The packages can be removed, the glass can be left for another week, and the boxes and pots can be transferred to the southern windowsill. It is in this part of the house that there is the most light. If the weather is gloomy, you should install a regular table lamp next to the rukola.There should be 60 cm between the plant and the lighting fixture so that the artificial rays do not dry out the ground. You can increase the amount of watering if the soil inside becomes dry. Determining the moisture content is simple: stick your finger in the ground and try it.

In winter, after sunset, the lamp is left on for at least 4 hours so that the sprouts do not stretch out. In spring, daylight hours are 9–11 hours, so the lighting device should be on from 7 am to 5–6 pm.

Sprouts are protected from drafts. They are dangerous to any plant, but arugula is very delicate and sensitive. You cannot open the vents on the windows where the miniature vegetable garden is located. You should maintain a stable temperature in the room so that the thermometer does not show less than +17.

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Additional care

Seedlings aged 8-10 days are recommended to thin out by removing weak and stunted plants. They can be added to salads or soups by cutting off the roots and rinsing the leaves thoroughly. The remaining specimens are regularly poured from a syringe, teaspoon or spray bottle. The grown bushes normally tolerate both +10 degrees and +25.

The soil contains enough nutrients for the normal growth of arugula. The plant does not need additional fertilization. If the seasoning seems to be developing poorly, an iron chelate can be used. You should refrain from nitrates and organic fertilizers, because the plant quickly absorbs everything that is in the soil, and this gets into the gardener's plate.

Arugula ripens after a month, sometimes earlier. It is advised to cut leaves with a height of 10 centimeters or more. Not all at once, but as needed, because greens are not stored for a long time even in the refrigerator. You need to have time to harvest before 45-50 days, when the plant begins to bloom. You can leave a few bushes and try to stock up on seeds yourself.

Tip: There will always be fresh arugula in the house, if planted in small batches, after 1-1.5 weeks.

There is nothing difficult in growing a popular plant. There is no need to apply fertilizers, soak seeds or observe a special temperature regime. Arugula has enough ordinary earth and a lot of sun to make its leaves juicy and tasty. Even novice gardeners are able to grow a real vegetable garden on their windowsill with a healthy seasoning, which is used to prepare dishes in elite restaurants.

Video: useful properties of arugula

The Mediterranean is considered the birthplace of arugula. This spice was used in ancient Rome, and later it was eagerly used by the culinary experts of French and English cuisines. Egyptians prefer to add herb to bean dishes and salads, while Italians use arugula leaves for pizza toppings, risottos and salads.

How to grow arugula on the windowsill, we will consider in detail below. Eruka, indau, caterpillar, walker - these are all names of the annual arugula plant.

Plant varieties also differ in appearance. Some of them have yellow flowers and oblong serrated leaves, others with white flowers and dissected leaves. The whole plant is used for food: seeds, flowers and leaves.

Beneficial features

The healing qualities are preserved if the eruku is torn into small particles, and not cut with a knife.

1. Arugula leaves contain a lot of dietary fiber, vitamins, essential oils, trace elements, citric and malic acids, tannins, pectin compounds, antioxidants.
2. Thanks to this chemical composition, it improves the functioning of the intestines, normalizes metabolism, strengthens the immune system, reduces inflammation, strengthens blood vessels, has a positive effect on male potency, and slows down the development of cancerous tumors.
3. Arugula salad is included in the menu by those who have decided to lose weight. The herb is low in calories, contains a lot of fiber and vitamins, the feeling of hunger disappears for a long time.
4. Arugula is a substitute for salt in many dishes.
5. The use of Indau on fasting days normalizes metabolism, removes toxins and toxins.
6. The herb leaf oil reduces brittle nails and softens the skin.
7. Provides assistance with problems with potency in men.
8. Hair masks with arugula decoction or oil reduce breakage and give hair strength and natural shine.

Healing properties

Due to its unique composition, Indau is also used as an additional remedy in the treatment of certain diseases. Properties:

• promotes wound healing;
• strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• reduces cholesterol;
• improves metabolism;
• regulates water-salt balance;
• raises hemoglobin;
• has a sedative and calming effect;
• lowers blood sugar;
• helps the body fight infections.

Harmful properties

Unfortunately, in addition to benefits, arugula can also harm the body. Due to the content of phytoncides in the grass, severe allergic reactions are possible.

You should not use eruka for diseases:

• liver;
• gastritis;
• urolithiasis;
• gout;
• colitis.

Contraindicated in Indau and pregnant women.

How to grow arugula on the balcony?

All year round, lettuce leaves can be grown on a glazed balcony if the temperature is more than 10 degrees. She grows well in such conditions. For planting, you need to take a container, box or pot and sow seeds to a depth of 1.5 cm. To properly cultivate a plant on a balcony, you need to know how to grow arugula on a windowsill.

Indau has a high germination capacity of seeds, therefore, when planting, they should not be laid out often. Seedlings appear on the 5th day. The seedling method is used to save seeds. The plantings are made more thickened, so that later they can be thinned and made a salad. The harvest ripens in a month.

When growing grass on the balcony, it is important to remember:

• do not use fertilizers, nitrates are quickly absorbed into greens;
• growing arugula requires moderate watering; excess water makes the leaves bitter;
• make the distance between plants 8 cm, then the taste will improve;
• will grow well if the balcony faces the sunny side;
• the best temperature for growing is 18 degrees;
• the leaves are ready to eat when the bush reaches a height of 10 cm.

How to grow arugula at home on a windowsill

Any kind of grass is taken as a planting material. Early ripening varieties will delight you with a harvest in 20 days, and mid-ripening and late varieties - in 30–40 days, respectively.

In boxes or trays, make a drainage layer of pebbles, broken brick or expanded clay. Take the earth slightly alkaline or neutral. The soil calcined at a high temperature from under pumpkin or leguminous plants, taken from a summer cottage, is ideal. Alternatively, you can use boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. After disinfection, the soil should stand for 10-14 days. You can prepare the soil yourself, for this, in proportions of 2: 1: 2, they take sod, sand and humus lands.

On moistened and slightly compacted soil, make rows or small holes. Put seeds in them at a distance of three centimeters and sprinkle with a layer of earth one centimeter.

Leaving, harvesting

Water from a spray bottle so as not to wash out the soil. After sowing, the boxes are covered with polyethylene film and placed in the dark. The optimum temperature at which the cultivation of arugula is considered ideal is 18 degrees. When the first shoots appear, usually on the 5-6th day, the film coating is removed. Weak and diseased plants are thrown away. The trays are transferred to a well-lit windowsill and moved closer to the glass. The herb is a light-loving plant. If the windows face the north side, then they make illumination from fluorescent lamps, which are placed at a height of 60 cm. Water it once every two days. Top dressing is not required.The eruk plant is very delicate, so it should be protected from drafts and not open the vents on the windows where the boxes are located.

In about a month, juicy greens with an unusual taste will appear in your kitchen. Leaves from 10 cm high are cut off. The size of the leaves is important, since small leaves contain a large amount of bitterness.

"How to grow arugula on a windowsill in winter?" - ask the question of lovers of this greenery. The only difference between growing grass in winter is the extension of daylight hours by 4-6 hours.

It's so easy to grow eruka at home. Greens do not stay in the refrigerator for more than six days. For long-term storage, it is washed, dried and frozen in the freezer. There will always be fresh herbs on the table if you plant small amounts of Indau every two weeks.

Pests and diseases

How to grow arugula on a windowsill to use its health-promoting properties and protect yourself from disease? You must follow certain rules for caring for her.

Indau contains a large amount of essential oils. No pests affect her. The smell of essential oils will scare away harmful insects from other plants that are near it. But it is not protected from fungal diseases that affect the roots due to high soil moisture. The disease manifests itself by wilting of the stems, and white bubbles appear on the roots. Affected greens are destroyed, the disease is incurable.

Trying to experiment

Increasingly, you can see in houses how arugula grows on the windowsill; growing from seeds does not require special conditions for harvesting. This amazing plant feels equally well not only on balconies and window sills, but also outdoors.

After the flowering of the eruka, seeds are formed, which are sown into the soil and the next year they give new shoots, so there is no need to plant it annually in summer cottages. You can try to leave the seeds, wait until the arugula sprouts on the windowsill, growing from seeds in this case will not require any effort at all.

Indau cultivation is not difficult due to the unpretentiousness of the plant. Greens have an exquisite and piquant taste that in a different way reveals the possibilities and subtleties of well-known products. How to grow arugula on a windowsill so that a green garden is always at hand is described in this article.

Any person's diet should include at least 70% vegetables. Fresh herbs are a good addition, the chemical composition of which is rich in valuable vitamins and minerals. Arugula is considered one of the popular salad components, but when grown in summer cottages, it is rarely possible to get a product with an exquisite spicy nutty taste. The whole secret lies in agricultural technology, the rules of planting and care, which will be discussed in this article.

What is arugula and what does it look like

The plant is a kind of salad, belongs to the Indau genus of the cabbage family. Initially, greens were considered a weed, but later they added to the lists of vegetable crops grown in our country. The demand for the product began to grow after the popularization of Mediterranean cuisine.

The culture has a short growing season, which allows you to grow greens in the open field throughout the warm period. When cultivated in a greenhouse or on a windowsill, the crop grows year-round, in spring and winter.

Arugula contains rich vitamin composition, which includes:

• vitamin C;
• vitamins B, E, PP, K;
• essential oils;
• flavonoids;
• vegetable acids (erucic, oleic, linoleic, etc.);
• steroids and other substances.

Arugula leaves are high in vitamins

Regular consumption of greens has the following effect on the body:

• strengthens the protective function of the body;
• normalizes metabolic processes;
• calms the nervous system;
• lowers blood cholesterol levels;
• increases hemoglobin.

And this is an incomplete list of the merits of arugula, so it is often include in dietary and medical food.

Timing for sowing arugula in the open field

You can sow arugula several times per season, starting from April to August... It is important that the earth has time to warm up to 9-14 degrees. If planted in cold soil, the process of germination and seedling development is inhibited.

In the south and in the middle lane, you can sow from April 15. In northern regions it is recommended to use greenhouse or seedling cultivation.

Grains for seedlings need to be planted from late March to early April... No preliminary preparation for the seeds is required, they already have good germination. The seedlings are grown in pots, boxes or cups.

Arugula seeds

Seedlings appear 4-6 days after sowing. When 2 true leaves are formed on the sprouts, you need dive seedlings into separate containers (plastic cups or peat pots). The grown shoots are transferred to an open bed together with an earthen lump so as not to damage the root system.

After germination of seedlings, it is necessary to thin out the planting, leaving at first 5 cm between the shoots, and then, increasing the distance to 10 cm. The thickening has a negative effect on the taste of the salad.

The most suitable varieties for growing in the country or in the garden

The assortment of varieties complicates the choice when determining the variety to grow on your site. When buying, you should familiarize yourself with a brief description of the plants and the features of their agricultural technology.

Arrows of Cupid

Plant with average ripening period, the growing season lasts 36-38 days... The bush reaches a height of 20-30 cm, forming a raised rosette of narrow long leaves. During flowering, light yellow inflorescences of small sizes appear.

Features of the variety: consistently gives a high yield, the external similarity of the culture with dandelion.

Arugula Cupid's Arrows

Curiosity

The variety ripens in about a month (vegetation 28-30 days). The height of the bush reaches 20 cm, the stem is erect with a small edge. The plant blooms in small cream-colored inflorescences.

Taste qualities of the leaves are distinguished by a sweetish aftertaste and lack of bitterness.

Arugula Curiosity

Poker

Plant early ripening period, the growing season lasts only 21-25 days... Rich green leaves of large size, in one rosette there are about 20-26 pieces. The height of the bush is about 20 cm.

The arugula is sweetish to taste with a mustard hint. The seed remains germinating for 4 years.

Arugula Poker

Olivette

Plant early ripening period, the growing season lasts only 20-25 days... The height of the bush does not exceed 16-20 cm. The leaves are lyre-shaped, slightly rounded. The variety is perennial.

The advantages of the plant: high yield, good transportability, high taste, which are distinguished by a pronounced nutty note and a slight bitterness.

Arugula Olivette

Rules for planting a vegetable in the garden

In order for the arugula to fill with a rich green color and acquire a pleasant nutty flavor, it is necessary to strictly follow the rules of agricultural technology, in particular, planting in open ground.

Seed preparation before sowing

Arugula seeds should be purchased from specialized stores. When buying from hands, you need to hold seed disinfection... For this, the grains are immersed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes. After the procedure, rinse them thoroughly under running water and dry them on a towel.

Other treatments to stimulate growth are not carried out, as the arugula seed grows well enough.

Preparing the soil for arugula

When choosing a place for a garden bed for arugula, it should be borne in mind that the plant does not like shade or direct sunlight... Therefore, it is worth choosing a site that is in the shade for one half of the day, and in the sun for the second.Ideally, if the plants are in partial shade at midday.

Landing site should be limited from direct sunlight

The soil for the salad will do fertile, loose with a neutral medium or slightly acidic... The following predecessors are welcome: carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin. Sowing arugula after: cabbage, turnips, daikon, radish and other cruciferous crops is not recommended.

Before planting, the soil can be enriched with calcium by introducing dolomite flour, chalk or other means into it.

What scheme to choose for planting in open ground

Sowing is carried out in prepared holes with a depth of 2 cm.The spacing between rows during transplantation is observed in 30-40 cm, between the holes - 5 cm... 2-3 seeds are embedded in each hole. A week later, it is necessary to thin out the beds, increasing the interval between plants to 10-15 cm.

Leaving after disembarkation

Temperature

The air temperature is considered optimal for the growing season. 14-18 degrees... With a reduced indicator, plant development is inhibited.

The culture will survive a sharp drop in temperature to minus 7 degrees, but provided that the cold is short-lived. If frost occurs after sowing, then it is necessary to build a shelter made of plastic wrap.

Watering the plant

The soil should always be moist in the arugula beds, so irrigation is carried out regularly. Watering mode: 3-4 times a week.

Watering is carried out 3-4 times a week

With the prevailing heat, you need to moisten the soil daily. Due to the lack of moisture, the leaves acquire a bitter taste, and the plant itself releases color.

Arugula loves moisture, but watering should be controlled. Water stagnation in the upper layers of the soil must not be allowed.

Weeding and loosening

For normal vegetation, the plant requires loose soil, therefore, after each watering or every other time, you should push the ground with a hoe or a horn.

Weeding is performed simultaneously with this procedure. Weeds thicken the planting, which provokes the development of fungal diseases, attracting pests. In addition, the proximity to weeds can negatively affect the taste of arugula.

Top dressing

The soil for sowing lettuce should be well fertilized. Then for the entire growing season you will need only 1-2 feeding.

Complex mineral compositions should not be introduced, because in a short time the toxins accumulated in the leaves will not have time to decompose. It is better to use a solution of chicken manure or rotted manure along with irrigation water. Nitrogen fertilizers are also suitable.

It is best to use a solution of chicken manure as a fertilizer.

Pests and prevention

Arugula leaves contain a large amount of essential oils, their aroma repels many pests... However, this does not protect against fungal infectionsthat grow well in a humid environment - soil.

When the root system is damaged, the stem begins to fade gradually. On the roots with a fungal disease, small brown bubbles are formed. When the first signs of the disease are detected, it is necessary to remove the bush from the garden, and treat the soil with antifungal drugs.

Arugula leaves can only be damaged cruciferous fleas, lovers of radishes and different types of salad. If you cover the seedlings with lutrasil, then the pest will go looking for food in another place.

Also, for prevention purposes, it is recommended to sprinkle the beds with wood ash.

Harvesting greens

Arugula is harvested with a leaf length of about 10 cm

Those who have already had experience in growing arugula know that when the plant is overexposed in the garden, the leaves become hard and bitter in taste. Therefore, you need to harvest on time, should not be postponed.

One of the signs of ripeness is the length of the leaf, it should reach not less than 10 cm... After the ejection of the peduncle, the taste of the lettuce deteriorates.

Large rosettes are cut off completely, other bushes are cut off partially.It is better to use the leaves fresh for cooking. The harvest, wrapped in cling film, can lie in the refrigerator for only a few days.

To summarize, it is worth noting that growing arugula is fun and easy. Adhering to the general rules for caring for a plant, you can enrich the body with useful microelements, strengthen immunity and even rejuvenate the skin.

You can plant and grow arugula not only in the country or in the garden, but also at home - on the windowsill or balcony. The main thing is to familiarize yourself with compatibility with other plants, plant seeds according to the rules and maintain the temperature you need at home.