Planting Arugula
Arugula is a cool season vegetable in the Brassicaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
You can sow Arugula directly into the garden 2–4 weeks before your last frost.
For a fall crop, sow 6–8 weeks before your first fall frost so plants mature as the weather cools.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Arugula room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 6 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 12 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 2 |
| Planting depth | 0.25 inches |
| Sun requirement | Partial sun |
Plan a square-foot bed with Arugula →
Calculate plants in a bed for Arugula →
Days to Maturity
Arugula reaches maturity in 35–45 days from sowing. Once ready, plants continue producing for approximately 21 days.
For a continuous harvest, sow a new batch every 14 days. Use the succession planting scheduler →
Arugula is ready to harvest after about 40 days. Picking regularly over the roughly 21-day harvest window keeps plants productive and encourages a longer pick. Harvest before summer heat or, for fall crops, before a hard freeze, to keep quality high.
Conditions and Care
As a cool-season vegetable, Arugula does its best growing in the cooler weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. It is frost hardy and can shrug off light freezes, so it can stay in the ground later into the season than tender crops.
Arugula grows well in partial sun and tolerates some afternoon shade, which can help slow bolting in warm weather. Sow seed about 0.25 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Arugula belongs to the Brassicaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Because it matures relatively quickly, Arugula rewards succession sowing: small, repeated plantings keep a steady supply coming rather than one short glut.
See Arugula in the full planting calendar for your ZIP →
Plan crop rotation for Brassicaceae →
Companion Plants
Pairing Arugula with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Grows well with: Lettuce (Loose-leaf), Spinach
Check Arugula with other crops in your garden →
Related Crops
Other crops you might grow alongside or instead of Arugula.
In the same family
Arugula is in the Brassicaceae family. Other Brassicaceae crops in the Gardenable database:
Documented companions
These crops are listed as good growing partners for Arugula:
Similar growing requirements
Crops with similar season and time to maturity — useful if you want a diverse garden on a similar schedule: