FREE: 2000 'Roquette' Arugula Seeds

The listing, 2000 'Roquette' Arugula Seeds has ended.

Arugula "Roquette" (43 days)

The entire plant may be harvested, or individual leaves may be cut from the plant. Leaves give a sharp, spicy, pungent, peppery taste, similar to horseradish, in mixed salads, complementing both bland butterhead lettuce and bitter chicories. Best used raw in salads and in tomato dishes when the serrated leaves are only two to three inches long. It can be steamed, cooked as a potherb, or pureed and added to soups. Harvested leaves can be frozen for later use, similar to spinach or other greens.

Growing it Sow seeds as early in spring as the soil can be worked, about 1/2 inch deep in rows 12 inches apart. When seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin plants to 3 to 4 inches apart. or best results, plants should grow quickly and steadily, as leaf flavor gets stronger with warm weather and less irrigation. To assure optimum growth and flavor, sow seeds early in cool weather in loose, well-composted soil. Keep soil moist.

Ancient Romans and Egyptians considered it to be an aphrodisiac. The British cultivated it for centuries, and it was in the earliest gardens in New England. Today, Roquette is popular with Italians, French, Spanish, Greeks, and Egyptians; it is becoming more popular in the United States.