Arugula is a fast-growing annual green that delivers peppery, nutty leaves in just 38 days from seed. This Eurasian member of the mustard family has a storied past, favored by Romans in their mesclun salads and later controversial enough to earn a ban from the Catholic Church due to its aphrodisiac reputation. Today it remains one of the easiest vegetables to grow at home, reaching 12 to 24 inches tall and thriving in cool seasons, though it tolerates heat better than many greens. Sow seeds directly outdoors or start indoors, and you'll have fresh, spicy leaves ready for harvest in under six weeks.
6
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
24in H x 12in W
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Moderate
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Arugula grows faster than most salad greens, delivering harvestable leaves in just over a month with minimal fuss. The leaves develop a distinctly peppery, nutty character that intensifies in summer heat, giving gardeners control over how fiery their harvest becomes. It thrives in cool spring and fall months but proves surprisingly tolerant of heat and cold, making successive sowings every three weeks possible from late winter through early fall. Even gardeners new to vegetable growing find arugula nearly foolproof, and it germinates reliably at temperatures as low as 40°F.
Arugula serves primarily as a fresh salad green, where its peppery leaves add depth to mixed greens and simple vinaigrette preparations. Young, tender seedlings are especially prized for their delicate bite and work beautifully in mesclun mixes or as microgreens, particularly when harvested young before the leaves develop their strongest peppery intensity. Mature leaves work well in cooked applications where their spiciness mellows slightly, and they can be used in pasta dishes, soups, or as a wilted green. The variety is also grown for successive harvests throughout cool seasons, allowing gardeners to pick outer leaves repeatedly while the plant continues producing.
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Start arugula indoors in shallow trays or 20-row flats 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature reaches at least 40°F but ideally 50 to 70°F. Broadcast seed thickly on potting mix or soilless medium, spacing seeds 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart, then press firmly into the media for good contact. Cover lightly with sowing mix, vermiculite, or use a humidity dome. Indoor starting is not typically recommended since direct sowing is so reliable, but this method works if you need transplants.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions, then transplant after your last spring frost when soil temperature is at least 40°F. Set transplants at their original depth, spacing them 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. Water well after transplanting to settle the soil.
Direct sow arugula seeds 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date outdoors, or in mild climates, sow in fall for winter harvest. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep, a few inches apart initially in rows approximately 12 to 18 inches apart. Press seeds firmly into soil for good contact. Sow successive crops every 3 weeks until 4 to 6 weeks before your average first fall frost date to ensure continuous harvest through the season.
Begin harvesting arugula 38 days after sowing, though you can pick individual outer leaves earlier for microgreens or mesclun mixes once the plant is established. Harvest by pinching or cutting outer leaves at the base, leaving the center growth point intact so the plant continues producing. Morning harvest yields the crispest, most tender leaves. Arugula shelf life under proper storage conditions is 5 to 10 days, so harvest what you plan to use within a week. Young leaves are milder and more tender than mature ones, and flavor becomes noticeably spicier when plants are grown in summer heat.
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“Arugula was first cultivated by ancient Greeks and Romans, who included it in their mesclun mix salads as a prized green. During the medieval period, the Catholic Church banned it due to its reputation as an aphrodisiac, a testament to its cultural potency beyond the plate. Its journey from Mediterranean staple to modern kitchen staple continued through European cultivation over centuries, and it has since spread throughout North America where it is treasured as a culinary plant. In some regions, escaped plants have naturalized, showing just how readily arugula adapts to new landscapes.”