Eruca

This is a cold tolerant vegetable grown for its foliage. It is known as Argula, Rocket Salad, Roquette, Rucola and Rugula. It has deeply toothed leaves and looks a bit like slender, short-topped turnip greens. Its strong scent and flavor resemble peanuts. This plant belongs to the Mustard family, Cruciferae.

Pot Cultivation

Rich fertile soil is the best for this vegetable. It grows better in cooler weather. Avoid summer plantings because short summer nights force the plant to flower and go to seed before enough foliage grows. To harvest Eruca, shear off whole plants 2 to 3 inches above the soil surface, leaving the central leaf buds for renewal. You can also snap off just the outer leaves. Mix the larger leaves with milder greens for cooking or salads.

Propagation

Sow seeds thickly in rows or wide bands in early spring and again in late summer. In the South, fall sowings are possible, but temperatures that fall below 25 degree will usually freeze all but the protected center leaves.

VARIETIES

• E. sativa and varieties are usually sold by species name or as Roquette. An Italian strain is called Ruchetta.