Hello, This is the first year I've grown arugula. So far I've had a successful crop and have already harvested leaves several times, but now the plants are beginning to flower. Should I cut off the flowers to encourage further growth? Thank you. Saleve
It looks like your arugula "bolted", i. e. it's developing seeds. Bolting is when a plant produces flowers and then seeds prematurely, in a mad rush to reproduce itself when the growing conditions become too extreme. This is usually caused by the increasing heat of summer and intense sun. Looking at Geneva temperatures over the last few weeks it looks like it has been pretty warm. The leaves generally become more bitter tasting so it's up your taste buds if you still find it enjoyable. Cutting off the flowers will not encourage more leafy growth. The flowers are edible so you may want to sprinkle them on your salads before pulling up the plants and sowing a new crop.
The same thing happened to my spinach, whether it was the heat or the periodic collection of leaves I'm not sure, but it looks like it's time to replant heh.
That's for your reply. And yes, you're right. We had a long cold spell and then suddenly it turned really hot and dry. I don't mind the bitter leaves - I'll harvest a last crop and then replant. Regards, Saleve
