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.
Reader Comments
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Harvesting seeds
I would like to grow my Arugula again and have let some seed pods grow on a flowered plant. At present the seeds inside are green. What is the quickest way to dry them to brown so I can plant again this season? Or will I need to wait till next season?
What to plant next
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.
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
Noted that you said they are edible, but should they be pinched off to help the arugula grow?
Flowers
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
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
Could you grow arugula indoors in a pot?
Growing Arugula indoors
Yes, absolutely, You can grow arugula indoors–and in a container. See this article for information: https://www.almanac.com/blog/natural-health-home-tips/grow-your-own-sala...