Growing Arugula

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Arugula

By The Editors
Arugula
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Also known as “rocket” or “roquette,” arugula is a fast-growing, cool-season leafy green that adds a tangy, mustard-like flavor to salads. Here’s how to plant and grow arugula in your garden!

About Arugula

Arugula stems from the warmer parts of Europe—namely Italy and along the Mediterranean, through Turkey and into western Asia. A member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), it’s a relative of other common garden plants such as cabbage, broccoli, and kale. 

Arugula is often found in mesclun seed mixes, as it grows quickly and has a bolder flavor than most greens. Plant in early spring or early fall and you will be able to harvest young leaves 6 to 8 weeks after sowing. The seeds will germinate quickly in cool soil and seedlings are capable of tolerating a light frost, but consider protecting plants with cloches or row covers nonetheless! Arugula is not very picky when it comes to soil quality and is a great choice for container gardens.

Planting

When to Plant Arugula

  • Arugula seeds will germinate in soil temperatures as low as 40°F (4°C), so sow them outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. See local frost dates.
  • Sow in late summer or early fall for a fall or winter harvest.

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

  • Arugula does best in nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, but will tolerate a wide variety of conditions. It prefers slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 7.
  • Plant in full sun (6 or more hours of sunlight) for the best results. Arugula will also grow in partial sun.
  • Avoid planting arugula in areas where its relatives (other Brassicas) have recently been planted, as pests and disease may persist. 

How to Plant Arugula

  • Plant ¼-inch deep and about 1 inch apart in rows 10 inches apart. Alternatively, broadcast arugula seeds alone or mix with other salad greens.
  • Seeds germinate in about a week (or slightly longer in cold soil). Speed up germination by soaking seeds in water for a few hours prior to planting.
  • Sow new seeds every 2 to 3 weeks for a continuous harvest later on!

Care

How to Grow Arugula

  • Keep soil evenly moist; his helps to prevent bolting in warmer weather.
  • Thin seedlings to about 6 inches apart, using the thinnings for salads.
  • To reduce heat stress and prevent bolting, provide some shade for warm-season plantings.

Arugula salad greens

Pests/Diseases

Harvest/Storage

How to Harvest Arugula

  • The leaves taste best when young. Older leaves can be tougher and will have more of a bite!
  • Harvest leaves when they are about 2-3 inches long.
  • Pull up the whole plants or cut individual leaves as needed.
  • The white flowers are also edible. 

Recommended Varieties

  • ‘Runway’ – Very fast growing plant with large-lobed leaves.
  • ‘Garden’ – Fast growing plants produce leaves with a mild, radish-like flavor.
  • ‘Italian Rocket’ – Also known as ‘Wild Italian Rocket’. Finely cut leaves with sharp flavor.
  • ‘Sylvetta’ – Small-lobed leaves. Slow growing and slow to bolt.
  • ‘Astro’ – Fast growing with a mild flavor.

Wit & Wisdom

Recipes

Cooking Notes

Packed with vitamins and minerals, arugula is often used fresh or in cooked dishes. Toss arugula into…

  • Salads
  • Soups
  • Omelettes and eggs
  • Sandwiches
  • Grains
  • Pizza toppings (Dress arugula lightly in a lemony vinaigrette.)

pizza-711662_1920_full_width.jpg

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Reader Comments

Leave a Comment

What to plant next

Submitted by Corie Feiner on May 28, 2020 - 9:13am

Hi, Let’s say you pull your arugula out. What do you do with the soil afterwards? What is recommended to plant next?

succession planting.

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on June 1, 2020 - 4:42pm

It’s great to keep planting greens. They have quick harvests. This is called “succession planting.” You don’t want to plant ALL your seeds at the same time! You don’t need to do anything different. Plant every 10 to 14 days in between for an extended harvest. We would just fluff up (aerate) the soil a bit and replenish nutrients by forking in some compost and/or granular organic fertilizer.

White flowers on arugula

Submitted by Suzanne Nicolaysen on July 1, 2019 - 7:09am

Noted that you said they are edible, but should they be pinched off to help the arugula grow?

Flowers

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on July 2, 2019 - 3:53pm

Yes, the arugula will be most flavorful prior to the plant producing flowers, so ideally you should harvest the leaves up until they develop. Pinch flower buds off to prolong foliage growth and extend the harvest.

Discolored Arugula

Submitted by Kelli on June 10, 2018 - 7:17pm

Hello! My arugula is having some trouble. It's discolored (yellow, purple-ish) and is not growing very well. It is in a fabric container about 18" in diameter, in partial shade. I'm wondering if it's a soil deficiency or over-watering? I'm in central Oregon, where we have cold nights and it's starting to warm up but it hasn't been too hot yet.

Pots

Submitted by John on February 12, 2018 - 10:20am

Could you grow arugula indoors in a pot?

Growing Arugula

Botanical Name Eruca sativa
Plant Type Vegetable
Sun Exposure Full Sun, Part Sun
Soil Type Any, Loamy
Soil pH Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color White
Hardiness Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
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