Fresh arugula
Fresh arugula is a tasty addition to salads, especially in winter when its green horse-radish-flavored leaves are a welcome addition to meals. Eruca sativa -- also known as rocket, roquette or arugula -- is an easy to grow annual from the Brassicaceae family, perfect for growing indoors under lights.
Choosing Light Bulbs
Fluorescent lights are cheaper than other grow lights such as metal halide lights. For a home gardener, the amount of light produced by a fluorescent bulb is enough. Regular fluorescent bulbs emit light with a blue wavelength perfect for vegetative growth. More expensive fluorescent bulbs called grow lights emit light with both blue and red light. Red light is necessary for plants to set bud and flower. Because you are only interested in the leaves of arugula and not the flowers, regular bulbs will be sufficient.
Set Up the Grow Station
Arugula is a cool season crop. Set your grow station up anywhere indoors as long as the spot is not too hot; 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. The plants will bolt if it is too hot. Attach the lights to a pulley so you can move them up and down as the plants grow. Plug the lights into a timer set for 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light. Arugula needs a period of darkness to rest.
Grow
Seed-grown arugula is easy and quick, so there is no need to buy expensive seedlings. After the plants germinate, place them under the lights. Lower the lights until they are almost touching the plants. This keeps the plants from growing spindly and weak. Rotate the plant pots daily underneath the lights. Fluorescent bulbs produce more light at the center. Exposing each plant to an equal amount of light ensures they all have a chance of growing to their maximum potential.
Harvesting
Arugula's spicy leaves will be ready to eat in 20 to 30 days. As the plants grow, pinch off the new leaves to encourage side branching. The aim is to have short, fat plants that are healthy. Harvest the leaves whenever you want. Use a pair of scissors to cut down the plant by a third. The plant will put out new shoots and continue growing. Cutting off too many leaves will weaken the plant. Plants need leaves to photosynthesize, produce energy and grow.
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