Arugula is an annual leafy green vegetable of the Brassicaceae family. Flavour is nutty and mildly spicy, delicious eaten on its own in a salad, mixed with other salad greens to add a bit of kick and flavour, topped over a pizza, and more.

Grow arugula in the spring and fall or where summers are cool, as plants tend to bolt once the temperature climb. Harvest individual leaves, working from the outside of the plant, and it will help to prevent bolting.

Flea beetles tend to be attracted to the succulent leaves. To prevent tiny pinhole marks, cover the bed with a fine insect mesh as soon as seeds are sown or plants are transplanted to their permanent location. To avoid flea beetles, grow arugula during the early spring or fall and cover with insect netting and a thin frost blanket. This will give your plants a headstart on the season.

Growing Information:

Sow seeds in place as soon as the soil can be worked or 4 to 6 weeks before the final frost date. For an early start, sow seeds indoors in cell trays at least 4 to 6 weeks before the final frost and transplant outdoors once they are large enough to handle.

Cover with insect netting to prevent flea beetle damage. Add a thin frost blanket if sowing in areas that experience frost.

Arugula prefers to grow in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade.

Days to Maturity: 40 (for baby leaves) to 70

Price: $4.25 each

Packet: 0.5g (or approximately 250 seeds)

Germination: 97%