Garden Project 2: Growing Arugula Lettuce

Arugula planted on improvised planter made from an old Pepsi crate.
Behind my arugula are mature Cos lettuces that I am growing for seeds.

 Working in the garden is a task that I enjoy the most. It is therapeutic and also healthy because I can eat organic produce anytime of the day. Around the same time I planted my Black Rose lettuce, I also planted some Arugula seeds that I got from an online seller. Honestly, I have never tasted arugula before but after watching so many cooking shows that featured this leafy green, I was convinced that it must the most delicious leafy green ever.

Young arugula seedling.

Arugula is another variety of lettuce. But unlike its other relatives, arugula has thicker leaves and stalks. It is never a delicate plant and it grows well on any types of soil but it prefers rich loamy earth.  What I love about this plant is that it is not prone to any insect attacks so you don’t have to worry about spraying insecticides on them. You also need to water it at least once a day but twice during the summer months.

The best thing I like about this vegetable is that you can continuously pick the leaves as the plant continuously grows. I never seem to run out of arugula leaves even if I pick them every other day. I have already used arugula for my soups. In fact, I love to put arugula on sinigang (sour soup) or your regular law-oy (vegetable soup). On the other hand,  I would  never dare eat it raw. Well, I did try putting a few leaves on my tomato sandwich but I have to spit it out. I guess I really don’t like its strong nutty taste as it is a bit overpowering for me. I have yet to try making arugula leaves into pesto but I think I will do it once they start to flower. That way, I can save the leaves which will eventually wilt and fall off the plants  but I will also get seeds which I can use to grow more arugula. The problem is, I have to hustle and free more space in my garden for future planting activities.