Permascaping, by Homegrown Foods
Sign in
Arugula growing

Cool-season produce

Arugula

Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa

Also known as Rocket · Salad rocket

Fast salad green; harvest young for milder flavor. It bolts quickly when the Valley warms.

EdibleCool-season crop
Growing spaceVegetable bed
Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b
Crop familyBrassicaceae (mustard)
Life cycleAnnual crop
Phoenix planting windowSeptember–February, favoring October–January.
How to plantDirect sow seed.
Plant spacing4–6 in for full plants; closer for baby leaves
FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.
Time to harvestAbout 25–45 days for leaves
SuccessionSow every 2–3 weeks through winter.
Special categoriesEDIBLE
Typical harvestHarvest in the cool season; timing depends on sowing date, variety, and winter temperatures.

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Cold hardinessCover in a hard freeze

Handles normal Valley frost fine. Throw a cover over it if a hard freeze is forecast.

Heat toleranceNeeds afternoon shade

One of the first to bolt. Leaves get hot and bitter as days warm in March, and plants flower by April in Phoenix.

Sources: ipm.ucanr.edu, extension.arizona.edu

Right plant, right place

Will Arugula grow at your Arizona property?

Fast salad green; harvest young for milder flavor. It bolts quickly when the Valley warms.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Irrigation

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Arugula thrive

  1. 1

    Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.

  2. 2

    Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.

  3. 3

    Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.

  4. 4

    Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the horticultural reference ↗

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.

Keep exploring

More plants for this system