Arugula, a popular leafy green, grows quickly and adds a peppery flavor to many dishes. Proper care, including strategic pruning, can significantly enhance its growth, flavor, and overall yield. Understanding how and when to prune helps home gardeners achieve a more abundant and continuous supply of fresh leaves. This practice ensures the plant remains productive.
Benefits of Pruning Arugula
Pruning arugula offers several advantages. Removing older leaves encourages new growth from the plant’s center, leading to a bushier, more compact form. This practice also helps extend the harvesting period. Regularly trimming the plant can delay bolting, the premature development of a flower stalk. Bolting often causes the leaves to become more bitter, so delaying this process helps maintain the desirable peppery flavor.
Timing Your Arugula Pruning
Knowing when to prune arugula is important. The first harvest can typically occur when the plant’s leaves reach about 2 to 4 inches in length, roughly 20 to 40 days after germination. Subsequent pruning can happen every few days or weekly, depending on the plant’s growth rate and consumption needs. Watch for any signs of a central stalk emerging; harvesting more frequently at this stage can temporarily delay flowering. Regular, gentle harvesting of outer leaves acts as an ongoing pruning method.
Step-by-Step Arugula Pruning
Pruning arugula effectively involves selecting the right leaves and making precise cuts. Begin by identifying the larger, outer leaves near the base of the plant. These are the oldest leaves and are ready for harvest. Use clean, sharp scissors or your fingertips to snip or pinch off these leaves. Make the cut at the very base of the leaf stem, close to the main stem or crown of the plant.
This method, often called “cut-and-come-again,” encourages new growth from the plant’s center. Avoid removing more than one-third of the plant’s leaves at any one time to prevent stressing the plant.
After Pruning and Continued Harvesting
After pruning, ensure your arugula plants receive consistent care. Provide adequate watering, especially during dry periods, to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Arugula thrives in full sun to partial shade, so ensure it receives appropriate light exposure. Continue to harvest outer leaves regularly to maintain productivity and prevent bolting. When the plant eventually bolts, you can allow some to go to seed for future plantings or remove them to encourage more leaf production before its life cycle ends.