How to Grow Arugula
Arugula At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -9°C
Plant Family
Brassicaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Arugula shrugs off frost, so sow it as early as 4 weeks before your last spring frost, and again from late summer for a fall crop. Scatter the seeds thinly 0.5 cm deep and cover lightly, then thin the seedlings to about 5 cm apart (pull the extras so each has room, and eat them). They sprout in 5 to 10 days. Sow a short row every 2 to 3 weeks for a steady supply of young, mild leaves.
Arugula is one of the fastest crops you can grow, ready to cut about 30 days after sowing. Summer heat makes it bolt (rush to flower) and turn very hot and peppery, so it is at its best in the cool of spring and fall. It belongs to the cabbage family, so try not to grow it where cabbage, kale or radishes grew last year.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Arugula?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Arugula Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Arugula Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow arugula outdoors now, then a short row every 2 to 3 weeks
30 days before your last frost· every year
Cut arugula leaves young, before the plant flowers
3 weeks after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your arugula seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the arugula seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 20 days after you plant it
Your arugula is moving fast! Keep the soil moist so the leaves stay tender and mild.
About 20 days after you plant it
Harvest time is close for your arugula. Pick the outer leaves and leave the centre to keep growing.
About 30 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your arugula.
About 30 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Arugula's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
0.5 cm
Seeding Depth
5 cm
Plant Spacing
20 cm
Row Spacing
16
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
Yes: Tower.
Method: Tower.
Succession Planting
Yes.
Good Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 5–10 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow arugula in full sun in spring and fall, and in afternoon shade in summer to slow down bolting.
- 2Mix a few handfuls of compost into the soil before sowing, since fast leaves need rich soil.
- 3Water often enough to keep the soil evenly moist, because dry soil makes the leaves tough and extra spicy.
- 4Water with compost tea every 2 weeks if the leaves turn pale.
- 5Cover the seedlings with row cover from the day you sow, since tiny black jumping beetles (flea beetles) chew small holes in the leaves.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~30
Days to Maturity
20 cm
Mature Height
15 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
45 days
When to Pick
Cut outer leaves as needed
How to Harvest
- 1Start picking when the leaves are about 5 to 10 cm long, usually 3 to 4 weeks after sowing.
- 2Cut the outer leaves with scissors about 2 cm above the soil and leave the small centre leaves to keep growing.
- 3Pick every few days, since young leaves are the mildest and the plant keeps making more.
- 4Once the plant starts to bolt, the leaves get hotter, but its small cream flowers are edible and pretty in a salad.
- 5Store the leaves unwashed in a bag with a dry paper towel in the fridge, where they keep a few days.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Arugula seeds come true as long as the variety is not a hybrid (hybrid F1 seeds will not). Different kinds of salad arugula can cross through bees, so let only one kind flower at a time, and let at least 5 plants flower together, since a single plant sets very little seed on its own. Leave the plants until the thin pods turn tan and dry, then pull them and hang them upside down in a paper bag in a dry place. Crush the pods in the bag and pick out the small round seeds. Store them labelled in a cool, dark, dry place, where they keep at least 3 years.
Seed Production
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