Arugula Roquette

ROQUETTE - Hearty Annual Green

Approx. 15,000 seeds per oz/28 g- 2 lbs./1 kg per acre

Known by several common names "Rocket" or "roquette" and "arugula". A popular green used in salads for its distinct peppery, sweet taste. Provides the same punch to a salad as chopped green onions, but without their aftertaste. Notched green leaves resemble chicory - catalogna in shape and texture.

CULTURE: Sow outdoors in wide rows 18 in/46 cm apart. Broadcast seed in a band 3 in/8 cm wide - spacing seeds about 1 in/2.5 cm apart within the band. Do not thin plants. Begin fall sowings in late August through late Sept. Fall sowings will winter over for March/April spring cutting. Fresh spring re-sowing should begin in May and successive sowings continue every 3 weeks until late June, when hot weather arrives. From late July to mid August extreme heat may cause leaves to be bitter.

HARVEST: 40 - 50 days from sowing. Plants form a small rosette heart and lots of external leaves that may be individually cut or the whole plant can be harvested at a young stage. Older plants become slightly bitter in taste after 55 days - so a continuous seeding schedule should be maintained throughout the spring and late summer for a fresh supply of greens. As leaves are harvested fresh growth will appear. Start picking the leaves when they are 2 in/5 cm long. Keep cutting the plant until it starts to produce flowers - then pull the old plant out and re-seed. Flowers are also edible in salads.