How to Grow Arugula: Methods and Key Technical Points
When people hear "arugula" (ji ma cai), many may think of sesame, and in fact it does have a certain connection to the sesame everyone knows. Arugula is rich in nutrients, and its sprouts have a unique taste, making it a very distinctive and delicious vegetable. In China, arugula is mainly grown in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Hebei and other places, and it is actually quite rare in other areas. So today, the editor brings you the method for growing arugula. Let's take a look.
1. Choosing and Preparing the Site
Arugula has strong adaptability to the environment, with strong drought resistance and tolerance of poor soil, and it has few requirements for the growing site. But if you want high yields, it is best to choose loose soil that is fertile, with a soil moisture content of about 80 to 90 percent, which is to say, with relatively good drainage and irrigation conditions. After choosing the growing site, plow the soil finely, break the clods up as fine as possible, apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly farmyard manure, open furrows and make beds, and finally rake the bed surface level and wait to sow.
2. Sowing Method
The best time to sow arugula is generally around April each year, and the temperature suitable for germination is about 15 to 20 degrees. If sown in April, May happens to be the peak period most suitable for arugula's vigorous growth, which can greatly improve the yield and quality of arugula. When sowing, we can use three methods: direct seeding, drilling in rows, and broadcasting. When sowing, the seeds should first be mixed evenly with fine soil before sowing, which ensures the seeds are scattered evenly. When sowing, note that the distance between each row should be about 15 to 20 cm. After sowing, cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil and water once.
3. Field Management
Generally, seedlings emerge about four to five days after sowing. When arugula has grown two or three true leaves, we can thin the seedlings and set them in place. When thinning, pull out the weak and diseased seedlings, and at the same time pay attention to weeding, keeping the distance between each plant at about 20 cm, and do this together with cultivating the soil. Secondly, during arugula's growth, we should reasonably control the water supply, watering and draining in good time. To promote arugula's growth and improve its yield and quality, we should apply topdressing scientifically. When topdressing, the amount of fertilizer used needs to be reasonably controlled according to arugula's growth conditions. This is mainly nitrogen fertilizer and compound fertilizer, generally applied once about every week. Note that no topdressing should be applied one week before harvest, so as not to affect its quality.
4. Pest and Disease Control
We all know that arugula has strong resistance, but during some peak disease periods, or due to improper planting management, some diseases can still be triggered, such as sclerotinia rot and leaf spot. For sclerotinia rot, we can use dimethachlon wettable powder for control; for leaf spot, carbendazim can be used. Next, striped flea beetles and diamondback moths are also relatively common pests of arugula, and we can use chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate and Tiao Jia Li Sha for spraying and killing. Of course, note that spraying must not be done from half a month to one month before harvest.
Because arugula has strong adaptability to the environment, it is also very convenient to grow, and field operations are very simple, so if you are interested in growing it, you can read this article carefully, and I believe it will bring you great inspiration.