Arugula
Eruca vesicaria
Sow outdoors 4 weeks before your last spring frost. Space plants 4 in (10 cm) apart.
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Spring Direct Sow
From seedRecommended- Sow outdoors4 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 35 days after sowing
Optimal Fall Direct Sow
From seed- Sow outdoors8 weeks before your first fall frost
- First harvestabout 35 days after sowing
Growing arugula
- Spacing in the row
- 4 in (10 cm)
- Between rows
- 12 in (30 cm)
- Planting depth
- 1/4 inch
- Sun
- Partial Shade
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile, pH balanced (6.0-7.0)
- Germination
- 4-7 days at 40-65°F (optimal 50-60°F)
- Harvest season
- Spring, Fall
- Mature height
- 6-12 inches (leaves), 18-36 inches (flower stalk)
- Life cycle
- Annual
Sow shallowly, covering lightly with soil. For continuous harvest, succession plant every 2-3 weeks.
Watering. Maintain consistent moisture, especially during germination and leaf development. Drought stress can lead to bolting and bitterness.
Neighbours
The companion chart →Grows well beside
Bush bean
Carrot
Onion
Beet
Radish
NasturtiumKeep apart from
Strawberry
Pole beanFeeding
- Seedlings
- Light liquid organic fertilizer, if indoor started.
- Growing
- Balanced nitrogen-rich fertilizer or compost tea every 2-4 weeks after true leaves appear, particularly for cut-and-come-again harvesting.
- Flowering and fruiting
- Reduced feeding; focus on vegetative growth for leaf production.
- How often
- Every 2-4 weeks
- Note
- Arugula is a light feeder; excessive nitrogen can promote rapid but weaker growth. Prioritize soil health with compost.
Your arugula, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.