Arugula is also known as Salad Rocket, Rucola, Rucoli, Roquette, or Colewart. It is an annual salad green with a peppery flavor. Arugula prefers cooler temperatures, so plant it early in the spring and late in the fall. Pick the leaves small for less peppery flavor. The leaves will get much stronger when the plant bolts (sets flowers). The white flowers are edible, or you can leave them to get seeds for the next planting season. From planting to first harvest is about 40 days, so if you plant new seeds every three weeks or so, you should have a continuous harvest. If growing arugula in the summer, or warmer climates, plant it in partial shade. Otherwise, spring and fall plantings should be in full sun. Arugula is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folic acid, and iron. In ancient times it was used as an aphrodisiac. The plant is said to grow two or three feet tall, but I believe this includes the flower stem. One half cup (1/2c) of arugula is two or three calories.
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Color: Dark rusty orange with dark green stripes
Shape: Oblate Size: 3 ounces to 2 pounds, 3-6 inches DTM: 70-90 Notes: Indeterminate, open pollinated, heirloom variety is blight resistant, but has some issues with cracking, bugs, and being easily bruised. Often reported as one of the first varieties to set fruit, or first to ripen. Heavy production on what is described as a small plant. The size of these tomatoes is all over the place. I've found references of them being as small as 3-4 ounces, and as large as 1-2 pounds. It may have a lot to do with location (colder areas seem to produce smaller fruits). Great for making a dark salsa or slicing on a sandwich. Color: Purplish Red with dark Green shoulders
Shape: Oblate Size: 8-14 ounces DTM: 76-90 Notes: Indeterminate, open pollinated, might need staking. This variety resists cracking, is heat and drought tolerant, but is thin skinned (bruises easily), and is slow to ripen in cooler climates. It's smoky flavor has been likened to the after-taste of steak. It's meaty and has few seeds. Color: Dark Red (Burgundy) with Green stripes
Shape: Round Size: 3-4 ounces, 1-1/2 to 2 inches DTM: 75-85 Notes: Indeterminate late season, vigorous with good disease resistance. Prolific production. Suitable for containers. Color: Rusty Brown / Red with Green, Purple, or Black shoulders
Shape: Oblate to Beefsteak Size: 4-8 ounces, or 12-16 ounces DTM: 75-85 Notes: Determinate Russian heirloom, early for a black tomato. There seems to be some mixed feedback on what size these should be, with some sites reporting 4-8 ounce oblate tomatoes, and others reporting 12-16 ounce beefsteak type tomatoes. Can be grown in a large container. Potato leaf, prone to cracking and cat-facing. Flesh inside is marbled. Good options for use include slicing for a sandwich or dicing for a salad. Color: Dark Red with Green stripes
Shape: Ruffled Beefsteak Size: 4-14 ounces DTM: 65-80 Notes: Originally greated by Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms). There seems to be a lot of difference in size, some report smaller 4-8 ounce tomatoes, and some claim 8-14 ounce tomatoes, so I'm going to guess it has a lot to do with growing conditions. It is indeterminate and is said to grow five to seven feet tall. I've found a few reports of this variety being prone to cracking. Regular leaf. Color: Green to Yellow, sometimes with a red blush on the bottom when ripe
Shape: Beefsteak Size: 12-16 ounces, sometimes more DTM: 80-85 Notes: This variety is described as being both a German heirloom, and coming from Tennessee. Aunt Ruby's is indeterminate, can get six feet tall or more (must be staked), and can be slow to flower, but have good disease resistance. It's very important to give this one enough space, as crowding decreases production. Said to be one of the largest green beefsteak type tomatoes available. I'm setting up this blog to keep track of the seed stash that is quickly overtaking the box. By using the Categories, I will be able to sort the seeds by color, variety, etc to make it easier to find information when I need it.
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Seed Stash BlogIn an attempt to keep my seed stash organized, and yet easily accessible, I'm going to use this blog. The plan is to make a blog post for each seed variety as I research it, tagging it to pertinent information. That way, I can come back later and search through the seed stash (even if I'm not at home), or sort results by growing factors! Categories
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