When and how to collect arugula?

Arugula is a spicy herb with unique flavoring properties. It belongs to the cruciferous (cabbage) family, is an annual, but there are also perennial varieties. In cooking, rucola (or indau) is an integral part of vitamin salads, its pungent taste goes well with meat dishes. Not so long ago, this herb was considered exotic, it was used by elite restaurateurs, and in Russia in general for a long time rucola was considered a weed. Now it is grown everywhere. Arugula is valued for its vitamins, its use improves intestinal function, it removes cholesterol, and is suitable for dietary nutrition.

Arugula is an early maturing plant. Once planted, the crop will ripen surprisingly quickly. Provided that the seeds are planted in mid-April and the rules for caring for the seedlings are observed, the first harvest can be harvested in the second half of May. And each subsequent one - as the greens ripen. Even the most inexperienced gardener can tell by the length of the leaf when it's time to harvest the arugula. The optimal length is 8-10 cm.

Many gardeners often wonder how to collect correctly. The method of harvesting Indau directly depends on the purpose of cultivation. It should be noted that if you do not cut off the leaves of greenery for a long time and do not take care of its shape, then it will begin to grow rapidly upward, stretch out, turning into a bush with a hard stem and small leaves, while losing its taste properties.

In the case when arugula is cultivated on a personal farm in order to harvest and use it as soon as possible, it is enough to periodically pick off the leaves of the greenery. You need to pluck correctly, closer to the base of the stem, near the ground. So that the bush does not die, retains its taste and continues to give new greens, you should adhere to a few simple rules.

• It is necessary to wait until the length of the leaves reaches ten centimeters.
• The leaves of the plant can only be broken off from a fully formed rosette.
• The leaves should be cut in a certain sequence: start with the earlier, well-developed and as large as possible, leaving space on the stem for the formation of new greenery.
• You should not overexpose the leaves on the bushes: the wider, longer and older they are, the more they become bitter and tough. It is optimal to pick off the leaves every couple of days.
• Harvesting must be carried out before flowering, otherwise the plant gives all its strength to color, and its leaves lose their taste and become unusable for food.
• The formed peduncles must be removed. However, it is recommended to leave several flowering bushes in the garden at an equal distance from each other so that the resulting seeds fall into the ground. In a month, if they germinate successfully, it will be possible to harvest a fresh crop.

The foliage after cutting will grow back after 2-3 weeks, the bush becomes lush again. Thus, the harvest can be obtained for an extremely long time. In general, foliage pruning is one of the most effective methods for increasing the yield of a vegetable garden, which is especially important for Russian compact garden plots.

If it is planned to grow on a commercial scale, for sale, then in this case the arugula is torn by the roots. So the bush will retain its freshness longer, and the leaves will remain juicy and bright. Small bushes are sometimes placed in disposable plastic pots and sprinkled on the rhizome with well-moistened soil. So the crop will calmly survive the transportation and will not lose its presentation. However, with this method, it will not work to harvest a lot from one bush.

Annual varieties at the end of the season can be pulled out by the roots when the bush becomes poorer and loses its vitamin qualities. In any case, first of all, you should pay attention to the splendor of the greenery. If the plant produces wide, dense, sweeping leaves or, conversely, the greenery becomes sparse and elongated, the bush can be safely removed. Indau is also pulled out before flowering, when the greens have already reached their peak. At this place, it is advisable to sow new bushes.

If the purpose of cultivation is to propagate a particular variety with the help of seeds, then it is often not recommended to strip the foliage. Then the bush will stretch out faster, release an arrow, then its flowering will begin, and only then it will give seeds. By the way, arugula seed can be dried and used as a seasoning for soups, as well as for making anti-cough decoctions.

Fresh arugula is stored for a short time. If placed in a refrigerator in cellophane packaging, its leaves will retain their freshness for only a few days, in general, no longer than a week. Harvesting or buying for future use will not work. It is important that the greens are isolated from the outside air. It can be placed in an airtight bag or plastic container. Also, the so-called neighborhood plays an important role, because the Indau foliage absorbs extraneous odors well. You should pay attention to this even when planting: it is not recommended to apply manure fertilizers to the ground, since the leaves will certainly absorb this unpleasant aftertaste.

After picking, the spicy herb should lie on the lower shelf of the refrigerator compartment or in a vegetable box. Like other salad greens, rucola leaves can be frozen whole or in butter ice cubes and dried. When frozen, most of the beneficial properties are preserved. When serving, rucola is added last. Fresh leaves must be torn, not cut with a knife, in order to preserve their juiciness as much as possible. The dried herb is added a few minutes before the end of cooking.

Thus, with the correct harvest of arugula and proper storage, you can enjoy the spicy taste of your favorite dishes and have your own natural first-aid kit with useful substances and vitamins all year round.