Arugula Microgreens: Health Benefits and How to Grow

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Arugula Microgreens is a healthy food or known as a super food because it is rich in nutrients. Not only that, but it also tastes great. Even Arugula Microgreens are very easy to grow in your kitchen. Here we will share everything about this plant, from its health benefits to how to grow it.

Arugula Microgreens Overview

This is a very small Arugula plant. It is harvested only a few days after planting, namely a few days after germination occurs. At that time this plant still had a very fresh and delicious texture with its crunch.

Arugula is a cruciferous plant that is very closely related to plants such as broccoli, radish or kale. Usually, these young plants are eaten directly raw. Eating Arugula Microgreens raw will provide you with full nutrition. No nutritional value is lost due to the cooking or steaming process.

Arugula Microgreens plants have various names throughout the world. Among its well-known names are colewort, garden rocket, rucola, and roquette.

Arugula Microgreens VS Arugula Sprouts

Arugula Microgreens are different from Arugula Sprouts. The sprouts are seeds that have not yet grown and are called sprouts because they have not yet grown leaves. Meanwhile, Arugula Microgreens are plants whose growth is complete, including leaves, roots and stems. Both can be said to be young plants in the early and later stages.

Nutrients and Flavor

Arugula Microgreens is an all-intensified plant, meaning it has a nutty taste similar to mature arugula and even contains the same nutrients but more. The amount of nutrients is maximized because it is harvested at the beginning of the growth cycle.

Harvesting at an early stage like this has many benefits, where we only need to eat a little arugula microgreen but can get all the nutritional benefits, even from mature leaves in larger quantities because they are still young.

Well, this is good information if you find it difficult to eat a lot. You just need to include a handful of Arugula Microgreen plants in your daily diet. This young vegetable is very easy to add to sandwiches or as an addition to salads. This is a very famous micro plant and is one of the richest in taste among other small vegetables.

Benefits of Growing Your Own

Considering that it has a lot of nutrients, many of us try to grow it ourselves in our yard. Growing your own is great because we will always have a supply of fresh microgreens whenever you need them.

What’s really interesting about growing arugula microgreens is that they grow quickly and are very easy to try. The entire process, from sowing seeds to harvest, only takes 10 days. Not only that, growing vegetables is also good for the environment.

Arugula Microgreens Health Benefits

Planting these vegetables can help you find lots of nutrients easily. It must be admitted that microgreens are very rich in nutrients, the content of which can be 4 times more or even 40 times more than the nutrients in cooked vegetables.

Arugula microgreens provide lots of calcium which is good for the growth of bones, teeth and nails. It also contains folate, carotenoids, vitamins, iron, potassium, vitamin C and is also rich in manganese. Arugula microgreens are an important vegetable for anyone to consume, not only is it rich in ordinary nutrients, it is also a storehouse of phytochemicals, which are important substances in preventing cancer.

What’s more, argula doesn’t have as much oxalic acid as is found in other green vegetables such as spinach or mustard greens. So, Arugula is very good to use as a source of adequate nutrition for the family. Low oxalic acid is a big advantage for humans, because we can get a lot of nutrients from vegetables without anything disturbing them.

Oxalic acid plays a role in binding minerals so that their absorption by the body is disrupted. Meanwhile, Arugula Microgreens which are low in oxalate will not have this negative effect. So, it’s not surprising that many people consider microgreens, one of which is Arugula microgreen, as a super food.

How to Grow Arugula Microgreens Complete Guide

Because Arugula provides many benefits, of course many of us want to grow this micro plant ourselves. We will share the steps and stages of planting so that you can get many benefits here.

So, the easiest way to fulfill your family’s nutrition needs is to grow your own vegetables at home. Ok, how to plant Arugula microgreens, let’s look at the following.

The important things to prepare are the seeds, basic supplies, water and sunlight or you can also use lights if planting indoors.

1. Supplies you’ll need

To grow your own arugula microgreen plants, prepare the following materials. Planting it is very fun, especially if you invite the children to come along with you.

– Arugula seeds

You can grow all types of arugula indoors, and the best variety to choose if you want to grow indoors is Arugula roquette. Avoid planting any varieties that are included in the wild arugula variety because the growth is very low, this makes it difficult for you to harvest it.

Also make sure that the seeds you choose are organic. Organic seeds mean seeds that are free from dangerous pesticides and are not exposed to various other dangerous additives.

– Growing medium

Planting micro vegetables usually uses soil-based planting media. You can use potting soil, but we like to use seed soil, this will be light in texture and grainy, this will make it easier for the fine root hairs to grow.

But if you don’t like soil because it can make it dirty or messy, you can use other alternatives, namely using coconut fiber, planting mats or tissue. You can even use vermiculite which is commonly used on regular plants to add aeration.

– Containers

Planting Arugula is as good in a shallow container as in a tray about 1 to 2 inches deep.

You also need to pay attention to drainage holes so that the water can flow freely and does not cause plant rot. You also need a second, larger tray as a container for pouring water from underneath. Watering from the bottom to the bottom will make the plants cleaner and less exposed to water. This can also prevent mold growth.

– Spray bottles

This spray bottle is important for watering the seeds after sowing. The seeds are very small, so the best way to water them is with a mist spray.

– Light source

To make arugula change color to green, it needs sunlight, this light is important for the plant’s photosynthesis process.

In general, the sunlight it gets on a window sill (if you plant it on a windowsill), this is enough. But if you don’t plant near a window, you can plant indoors and use lights. The light rays will usually hit the plants evenly. That’s why many people choose to use lights when growing Arugula microgreens indoors.

2. How to sow your arugula microgreen seeds

Prepare the planting medium in a container or tray until it fills the edge of the container, pat it gently with your hands. If you use coconut fiber, you don’t need to fluff it because it can make it too dense.

Spray water into the soil planting medium that you have prepared, let it sit until it is absorbed, do this spraying again twice. Now you can sow the seeds in the moist soil. To plant arugula seeds, you don’t need to soak the seeds because arugula seeds are very small and have thin skin so they are easy to grow.

Spread the seeds over the soil until they cover all parts of your soil surface. Some people prefer to spread the seeds using a shaker bottle. The seed dispersal density ratio is 1 ounce of seed for a 10 x 20 inch planting medium.

3. How to germinate the seeds

Arugula seeds do not need to be covered with soil, they are very small and you can lightly spray them with water and they will cover themselves.

To encourage germination, you have to keep the planting medium moist, you can cover it so that it is not exposed to sunlight, just cover it with a second tray which we will later use for watering from below. Cover the top to maintain moisture until germination.

If it has germinated, you can leave it in a warm place for two days so that it grows and germinates well. Even in this phase you don’t need to water it because there is moisture.

4. Expose the arugula microgreens to light

If it has germinated perfectly, now you can open the lid, or expose it to light so that it starts the next phase of growth. Now you can place the tray of arugula inside the second, larger tray, and water the seeds well.

If the soil is moist, you can remove the arugula container from the second deep water. Avoid getting too much water because it can cause root rot.

Watering now is by pouring water into the bottom container, always keeping the soil moist, but don’t overdo it so that it becomes stagnant. Within a few days, you will see the arugula seeds growing as microgreens. When arugula microgreens begin to receive light they will produce green leaves.

5. Harvesting your arugula microgreens

In just 7 days from seeding, your arugula microgreens can be harvested, but it is best to wait up to 10 days.

To make sure you can harvest it, measure the stems, the stems must be 2 to 3 inches high. The color will be bright green, and it will have two dicotyledonous leaves. Don’t let it grow its true leaves as this will change the taste.

Before harvesting or when you want to harvest, stop watering for 12 hours before harvesting. This will keep your microgreens dry and easy to store. Use sharp scissors and cut your Arugula microgreens just above the soil surface.

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Storing Your Arugula Microgreens

Microgreens can be stored to extend their shelf life. You can store leftover arugula in the refrigerator after wrapping it in tissue and placing it in an airtight plastic bag.

Proper storage will maintain the durability of arugula for up to 4 days.

Look Step by Step on How to Grow Arugula Microgreens

Growing Tips for Arugula Microgreens

1. For the best and healthiest results, use organic seeds, ideally choose the roquette variety of arugula, make sure the planting container is not too deep, just 1 to 2 inches.
2. If you don’t use soil, you can use a planting mat, coconut fiber or tissue.
3. When they have germinated, start watering them from the bottom or in the second tray above which there is a soil tray until the water is absorbed into the soil.
4. Make sure your microgreens receive natural light while growing. If you use a grow light, then place it above the planting medium for at least 4-8 hours a day.
5. For best results, try to maintain a temperature of around 70℉ (21℃), with 50% humidity and use adequate ventilation.
6. Make sure you harvest them when they are 2 to 3 inches tall and have two dicotyledon leaves. Avoid storing it until it grows real leaves because this will change the taste.
7. If you want to store it, wrap it in tissue, put it in airtight plastic and store it in the refrigerator.

FAQs

How long does it take to grow arugula microgreens?

Arugula microgreens are ready to harvest in 7 days even though the best time to harvest is 10 days.

This is the best time to eat them, after they germinate and after their cotyledon leaves appear and before the appearance of the plant’s true leaves.

How can I eat arugula?

As for the taste, it has a more intense taste than cooked vegetables, it feels peppery and pungent, adding it will give a crunchy feel to the dish. The taste is similar to micro broccoli vegetables.

Where do you best use it? You can use arugula microgreens in dishes such as sandwiches, burgers, tacos and others.

Sometimes it is also used as a garnish in egg and meat dishes. Also add one handful to your smoothie.

You can also use it in salads, adding nutrition and crunch. Some ways to use arugula microgreens is to add them to soups, stir-fries, and stews, and this will ensure they retain their texture as well as their nutrients.