Arugula
- Sun: Full sun/part shade
- Harvest Size: Tender leaves 6 to 8 inches long
- Days to Harvest: 10 to 45
- Plant Size: 6 to 12 inches tall, 2 to 3 feet after bolting
Easy-to-grow, vitamin-rich arugula spices up salads with peppery flavor. This variety has broader leaves than some, so it offers a healthy-sized harvest. A frost-hardy green, arugula is perfect for cool-weather containers, including window boxes.
Plant spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart in rows, or 6 inches apart in intensive gardens or containers. Plants per person: 3 to 4.
Secrets to Success »
Plant early in spring and again in fall. Fertilize with a liquid plant food to encourage lots of new leaves for harvest.
Harvest and Use »
Begin harvesting as soon as leaves are long enough to pick. The young leaves offer mild flavor, while larger, older leaves pack a stronger, mustardy punch. In late spring or early summer, the plants will get tall and flower; use the edible blooms to perk up salads. You can also sauté or steam arugula like other greens.
Try These Garden Companions »
- Buttercrunch, Romaine, or Red Sails lettuces for a salad garden in a pot or in- ground.
- Parsley, a multi-season herb for salads.
More Photos »
Edible arugula blooms appear in summer and are pretty on salads.
A row of arugula promises lots of salads.
The taller arugula gets, the more peppery the taste.