How to Grow Arugula: Simple Garden to Table Recipes

Learn how to grow arugula (aka: rocket) in the home garden and how to use it up in the kitchen for that fresh farm to table vibe that we love.

When winter is coming to an end and spring is on the horizon, arugula is one of the first seeds I want to plant. It has a mild peppery taste with a nutty finish that pairs well with salads, pasta, and more.

Is it Called Arugula or Rocket?

It depends on where you live! They are both the same plant. Here in the US, we call it arugula based on the Italian name “rucola”. In the UK, Australia and Europe it’s rocket based on the French word “roquette”.

No matter what you call it, if you’ve never tried growing arugula- give it a go! It’s surprisingly easy and adds a gourmet touch to many dishes.

Why Grow Arugula in Your Garden?

The most important reason to grow arugula is its unique flavor. I love the peppery earthy notes in younger leaves and the slightly bitter “mustard greens” flavor of the more mature leaves.

Aside from flavor, I like to grow arugula because it grows fast and easily. It’s not super fussy, loves the cooler weather and grows like mad- perfect for beginner gardeners!

You can grow arugula in small spaces like raised beds, containers and even window boxes. The roots are short, around 6 inches, so you don’t need huge planters. However, small containers dry out faster, so water consistently!

Arugula is a ‘cut and come again’ plant which means that it will last well into the season. By cutting the outer leaves, the plant will keep growing and producing more arugula leaves. Woohoo!

When to Plant Arugula?

Arugula is a classic cool season plant, not a summer heat loving one like tomatoes or peppers. Plant seeds 2-4 weeks before your last frost date. Not sure when yours is? Look it up by zip code here.

When the weather gets too hot, arugula will bolt and then it’s time to toss it in the compost pile. Bolting is when the plant thinks it’s done producing leaves and needs to set seeds instead. It sends up a tough fibrous stalk that will flower (flowers are edible by the way!) and eventually make seeds. See the photo below:

My favorite part about cool season plants- the fact that we have two cool seasons! Arugula can be planted again in the fall for another harvest. Plant seeds 4-6 weeks before your first frost date.

When you grow arugula, use succession planting methods. This means that instead of planting all of your arugula seeds at once, you should plant some every 2-3 weeks. While you are harvesting the first round, the next one will be making an appearance. This gives you a steady supply of arugula and not one giant harvest all at once.

How to Grow Arugula?

To grow arugula, choose a sunny to partly sunny area with rich well draining soil. I personally prefer raised beds because I can control the soil and nutrients. Read The Pros and Cons of Raised Beds for my insight about different materials and locations.

I love my Vego raised beds and use their fitted shade/frost protector systems to help shield my plants. The shade covers not only help my lettuces and arugula last longer, they also prevent cabbage moths and flea beetles from getting to my cool season plants.

Arugula also needs consistent watering, but not soggy conditions. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation is extremely helpful, not just for growing arugula- but for anything in your garden. Read Step by Step Drip Irrigation for details for adding it to your raised to beds.

Personally, I have had great success with Botanical Interests Arugula/Rocket seeds and highly recommend them.

I have two methods for planting the very tiny arugula seeds at 1/4 inch depth:

Planting Method Number One:

I lightly drag my fingertip across the loosened soil next to a drip line and create a small “trench” that is 1/4″ deep and then sprinkle the seeds in it. I then pat the disrupted soil alongs the edges over the seeds and let the drip irrigation keep it moist. This makes a row of arugula, and in 2-3 weeks, I will make another row in front of it.

Planting Method Number Two:

I lightly loosen the soil in a square foot section of my raised bed and sprinkle the arugula seeds all over this square. I then take compost or soil from a bag and careful cover the seeds with enough to “bury” them 1/4 inch. This creates a patch of arugula instead of a row.

Either way, planting arugula seeds is fairly easy and you will see them sprout up in about a week. They’ll be ready to eat in 3-4 weeks!

How to Harvest Arugula

If you want the milder tasting greens, harvest your arugula when it’s small baby leaves are available. If you want your plant to be more robust, let it keep going for a week and the larger more mature leaves will have a stronger peppery taste. I like them both and will harvest some young and some older.

Use either sharp clean clippers or scissors and remove the lower outer leaves first. This will tell the plant to keep growing and producing leaves, not flowers and seeds.

You can also use your hands to pinch off the arugula leaves if you’re in a hurry. I’ve been known to race out to the kitchen garden and rip the leaves off in a handful because I have so much arugula growing at once! It’s not the end of the world, just harvest it and get ready to use it!

How to Use Arugula in the Kitchen

Arugula is the one of the most versatile foods in my kitchen. It’s simple to use and adds a crisp zippy flavor to most anything. The easiest ways to use arugula in the kitchen are:

salads
pizza topping
pasta dishes
sandwiches and paninis
beds under foods like burrata, crab cakes or fried goat cheese

Arugula pairs well with lemon, garlic and balsamic. It tastes lovely with fruits like pears, figs and peaches. Add in some prosciutto and soft cheese like goat cheese and you have some divine yumminess goin on!