How To Plant, Grow And Harvest Arugula Greens

• Scientic Name: Eruca Versicaria
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Plant Type: Vegetable, Annual
• Size: 2–3 ft. tall, 1–1.5 ft. wide
• Sun exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sunlight
• Soil type: Loamy, moist, well-drained
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral 
• Blooming Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
• Flower Color: White

Arugula is not only a popular green that restaurants seem to put on but is easy to start from seed and grow at home. Arugula stems from the warmer parts of Europe and along the Mediterranean through Turkey and western Asia.

These plants are planted in early spring or early fall and can harvest young leaves 6 to 8 weeks after sowing. The leaves are deeply lobed and reach around 3 to 6 inches long. 

The arugula green is considered a delicious raw and can be used as a healthy add-on topping for pizza, nachos, sandwiches, and wraps.

It is a member of the mustard family often found in mesclun seed mixes, and grows quickly, carrying a bolder flavor than most greens. Many people love its spicy, peppery taste in salads as an accompaniment to sandwiches.

Arugula is a cool-season annual herb known for its distinct peppery flavor, adding a touch of sophistication to salads and delightful piquancy to cooked dishes.

Before planting an arugula, you need to know about the location, the time when you need to start planting, and the ways to plant it for better growth. Here are some of the things you need to know while planting an Arugula;

When To Plant Arugula

This plant is generally ready to harvest about 40 days after the seeding. If the time is right, you can have two arugula seasons one in spring to early summer and another in late summer into fall.

You can start planting as soon as the soil is workable during spring. For a continual harvest, sow more seeds every 2 to 3 weeks until the weather becomes favorable. 

Also, the seeds can germinate in soil temperatures as low as 40°F, so sow them outdoors as soon as soil can be worked in spring. 

Where To Plant

Arugula does best in nutrient-rich, well-drained soil but will tolerate wide conditions, making it a preferable choice for containers, raised beds, or traditional garden beds. The soil in which the seeds are planted needs to have a pH value slightly acidic between 6 and 7. 

Plant in a spot where sunlight arrives for at least 6 hours for the best results as it will grow slowly in partial sun. While searching for the planting site, avoid planting in areas where its relatives have recently been planted as pests and diseases may persist. 

How To Plant Arugula

These plants are sown directly into the place where they grow quickly in the garden or container with proper climate conditions. The simplest way to sow these seeds is to take a bunch between your fingers and rub your hands together to scatter seeds over your raised bed or container. Here is how you can plant arugula:

• Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows 10 inches apart. 
• Seeds germinate in about a week or slightly longer in colder soil temperatures. Speed up germination by soaking seeds in water for certain hours before planting.
• Sow new seeds every 2 to 3 weeks for a continuous harvest later on.

Arugula plants are relatively small and self-contained and easy to grow in containers. Also, as the weather warms, containers make it easy to move the plants out of direct sun in the heat of the day, extending the growing season. 

Because the roots are fairly shallow, a depth of at least 6 inches with a wider diameter container is needed with drainage holes. Also, unglazed clay is a good material to allow excess moisture in the soil to evaporate through its walls.

Where To Grow Arugula

The vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, and kale might take up a huge space in your garden. However, the entire growth of the arugula is built differently than the other brassica family members. 

It can grow bigger if you let it reach full maturity and is perfectly fine grown in a narrow space if its leaves are harvested frequently. These plants can be raised in beds, containers, and even pots.

Due to its shallow root system, you only need to give the roots a good six inches to stretch down, though 12 inches is always suitable if you have the container. 

How To Grow Arugula

Here is how you can grow arugula greens:

• Keep soil moist, especially in warmer conditions bolting may occur when the plant skips right to producing flowers and seeds without developing much foliage.
• Thinner the seedlings to 6 inches apart using the thinning for salads.
• Provide some shade for warm-season plantings to prevent the plants from bolting. 

Growing Arugula From Seeds

Most of the gardeners start arugula from seams and can be directly seeded in the garden, starting about one to two weeks before the final frost in the spring. 

The seeds can germinate even when the soil temperature is as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly cover the seeds with soil and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Once the seedlings emerge after a week, thin them to around 6 inches apart, saving the baby greens. 

Pruning beyond regular harvesting is unnecessary for arugula. But if you find any broken or diseased leaves, remove them to prevent issues from spreading. 

This approach not only provides you with fresh leaves but enables the plant to keep producing. Start harvesting when the plants reach 4-6 inches tall. Use sharp scissors to snip individual leaves, leaving the inner ones to grow.

Restrict cutting more than 75% of the plant's leaves at a time to maintain healthy growth. The one benefit is it stimulates new leaf production, resulting in a bushier plant and a longer harvest window.

Arugula isn't typically propagated through traditional methods like stem cuttings or division. Being a fast-growing annual herb, saving seeds is the most efficient and successful method to grow arugula. This is an inexpensive and convenient way to propagate vigorous varieties.

Here's how you can save seeds:

• Allow your arugula plants to flower, and wait for the seed heads to turn brown and brittle. 
• Cut the seed heads off the plants, place them into a bag, and put them in a cool and dry spot to dry completely. 
• Rub the seed pods between your hands to release any tiny black seeds. Separate out all the plant matter over white paper to see and catch everything. 
• Store the seeds in a paper or a jar and should be available for up to six years. 

A quality purpose, well-draining, organic potting mix should work for potting arugula. Aim to pot your plants in a container or jar, large enough for their mature size. You can avoid repotting and disturbing them as they quickly mature. 

Potting Arugula:

• Choose an ideal growing pot with drainage holes and a size of 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) deep and wide.
• Then, use a high-quality, well-drained potting mix specifically developed for herbs or green vegetables.
• Sow seeds into the potting mix at a depth of one-fourth inch. Keep them 1 inch apart.
• Water the plant to dampen the soil but restrict overwatering.
• Keep your potted arugula in a place with at least 6 hours of daily sunlight.

Repotting Arugula

Arugula consists of a shallow root system and doesn't require frequent repotting. However, if your plant appears root-bound, repotting can be useful. Here's how:

• Report arugula after it shows overcrowding signs or root boundness after several harvests. 
• Select a new pot larger than the current pot almost 2 to 3 inches wider. 
• Remove gently the plant from its current pot and repot it into the new pot filled with fresh, well-draining potting mix. 
• Place the plant in the new pot and fill in the gaps with the fresh potting mix and water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots.

Arugula is an annual herb, which completes its life cycle in a single growing season. You might grow plants indoors over the winter, providing enough light with grow lights, which are an option to supplement natural sunlight. 

Climate Considerations

The overwintering success depends on your climate conditions and is most feasible in regions with mild winters where temperatures rarely drop below freezing.

Overwintering Steps

• Find a sheltered site in your garden with winter sun protection, facing a south-facing wall. 
• Then, apply a thick mulch around the arugula plants in late fall, after the first light frost, which protects the roots from freezing temperatures.
• Water during extended dry weather occasionally to prevent the soil from drying out completely.
• If temperatures drop significantly, add a layer of mulch or use a frost cloth for temporary protection.

The arugula plant should be fully grown and ready to harvest in about 4 to 5 weeks, depending on the variety. Harvest leaves when they grow 3 inches long as the young leaves are tender and sweet whereas avoid older ones because they are tough and bitter. 

If you want your plant to grow continuously, collect the outer leaves by cutting or tearing them off toward the base, leaving the crown intact. If you wait too long to harvest and the plant bolts, eat the flowers, not the leaves. Aim to use fresh leaves and keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Harvest Method

• Being a "cut-and-come-again" herb, you can harvest arugula leaves regularly without hampering plants and encouraging further growth.
• Use sharp scissors to cut individual outer leaves. Also, you can pinch off leaves with your fingers.
• Restrict cutting more than 75% of the plant's leaves at a time. This confirms the plant keeps producing new leaves the following season. 

Your arugula craves cool weather to thrive as the plant seed outdoors in early spring or fall after the frost risk passes.  With a little care, you'll be enjoying fresh, peppery arugula throughout the cool season.

Light

Arugula grows in full sun, meaning it needs almost six hours of daily sunlight on most days. Despite doing well in part sun during warm climates, when the temperatures rise, they need an afternoon shade. It will protect the plants from wilting and bolding, further extending your harvest for as long as possible.

Soil

These plants are happier in well-drained soil with a higher acidic to neutral soil pH. They tolerate a variety of soil types but prefer a nutrient-rich soil. 

Water

Like many vegetables, arugula needs regular watering for healthy growth and optimal flavor. It has a shallow root system so the soil needs to be completely moist but not soggy, watering should be done as the top inch of the soil feels dry.

If you fail to water regularly or overwater these plants, it will cause the plants to bolt and ruin the leaf's flavor. 

Temperature And Humidity

The ideal temperature for arugula to thrive is between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. It tolerates frost but doesn't like the high heat of summer. 

Also, you can extend its growing season by protecting it from freezes with row covers and from heat with proper shades. But, the strategy is to plant it at the right times.

It doesn't need higher humidity and grows quite well in any climate, provided enough water. 

Fertilizer

As long as you plant your arugula green in nitrogen-rich soil, it shouldn't need any additional feeding. The pale color leaves indicate a lack of nourishment therefore to enrich your soil, you need to mix in compost before planting. 

Pollination

This plant is a self-pollinator and varieties also can cross-pollinate through insects and the wind. 

Diseases aren't common with arugula plants. But the bacterial leaf spot and the powdery mildew might appear. Also, the early and short growing season of arugula means, you might miss pest infestation in the spring, but not when you plant them in late summer. 

Also, these plants are favored by slugs and cabbage loopers, fleas, beetles, aphids, and diamondback moths. You must be aware of the insect eggs and remove them quickly if found. The aphids are sprayed off with water whereas slugs can be stopped from reaching the tender leaves with beer traps.