Step-by-Step Growing Guide
Arugula is one of the fastest-growing and most rewarding salad greens for cool-season gardens. It grows in almost any well-drained soil at pH 6.0–7.0 with minimal preparation, though it rewards rich, moist soil with larger, more tender leaves. Sow directly 6mm deep in rows 20–25cm apart; thin to 8–10cm spacing for best leaf size. Arugula germinates in 5–7 days in cool soil. Water consistently — 2.5cm per week — keeping soil evenly moist; drought stress triggers bolting and makes leaves intensely bitter rather than pleasantly peppery. In hot weather (above 24°C), provide afternoon shade with 30% shade cloth. No significant fertiliser is needed in reasonably fertile soil; a single application of nitrogen fertiliser at sowing speeds early growth. Succession-sow every 2–3 weeks from early spring through mid-autumn for continuous supply. Allow some plants to bolt and self-seed — arugula self-seeds prolifically and will naturalise easily in most gardens.
