Arugula is a very popular green to add to any salad or as a stand alone side to your dinner or lunch. And who can resist, it is enriched with plenty of Vitamins A, C, K and Folate as well as the nutritional minerals Calcium and Potassium. Its rich peppery taste also makes arugula a good choice to use in pasta dishes. Here is how you can grow some great tasting arugula in your home vegetable garden.

Arugula is a colder weather crop and germinates best in a soil temperature in the range of forty to fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as you work the soil (after the freeze is over) you can begin planting arugula.

Arugula is typical to many other vegetables in that it likes a pH level in the soil to be as neutral as possible. Test your soil to make sure the level sits above six and as close to seven as possible. You can get a pH soil tester at any home or garden center for a few bucks.

Sow the arugula seeds no deeper than a quarter inch and no closer than six inches. This gives the seed the ability to break through the top soil and the roots to spread out and grow strong underneath.

Arugula requires moderate and even watering and if you are growing it in a cold frame you can lighten up the water even further. It can grow in full sun but also grows well in partial shade making this plant very versatile as far as where you can place it in the garden.

When the arugula leaves are two to three inches they are ready to be harvested. This usually occurs as soon as 3 weeks after the seeds germinate. Simply cut the leaves off, give them a quick rinse and pat dry with a paper towel and they are ready for consumption.

Good companion plants include beets, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes and spinach where as bad companion plants include pole beans and strawberries.

There are many healthy benefits to this great addition to your home vegetable garden, but as you can also see, it is very easy to grow, and you can add it to your early spring and late fall crop.