Arugula, also known as rocket, is a popular leafy green celebrated for its distinct, peppery flavor. This cool-season crop is famed for its rapid growth cycle, offering a quick turnaround for fresh greens and making it an excellent choice for succession planting. This guide provides a timeline for achieving the fastest possible harvest.
The Arugula Growth Timeline
Arugula moves from seed to a harvestable leaf remarkably fast. Germination is swift, with seeds typically sprouting within three to eight days after sowing in cool soil.
The first harvest stage, “baby leaf,” is ready when the leaves reach four to six inches, generally occurring within 20 to 30 days of planting. For a mature leaf with a stronger peppery flavor, maturity takes between 35 and 45 days. Temperature is the primary variable, as arugula thrives best when temperatures are consistently between 60°F and 65°F. Cooler conditions will slow the plant’s metabolism and extend the time to maturity.
Cultivation Steps for Rapid Growth
Achieving the fastest harvest times requires optimizing the growing environment. Direct sowing the seeds into their permanent location is the preferred method, as transplanting can shock the plant and delay growth. Seeds should be lightly covered, planted about a quarter-inch deep, and initially spaced about an inch apart.
The soil must be a well-draining, fertile medium with a slightly acidic to neutral pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Since the goal is abundant leaf production, the soil must be rich in nitrogen, often achieved by mixing in compost or aged manure before planting. Consistent moisture is paramount for rapid, tender leaf growth because arugula has a shallow root system.
Inconsistent watering, especially as temperatures rise, can trigger bolting, where the plant prematurely sends up a flower stalk and ends leaf production. To maximize resource availability, seedlings must be thinned once they emerge, aiming for a final spacing of about six inches between plants. Thinning optimizes light exposure and nutrient uptake, contributing to a faster growth rate. The thinned seedlings can also be used immediately as microgreens.
Harvesting Arugula
Once the leaves reach a desirable size, the harvest method can be managed to extend the plant’s productivity for weeks. The most effective strategy is the “cut-and-come-again” method, which allows for multiple harvests from the same plant. Using sharp scissors or snips, individual outer leaves should be cut near the base of the plant, ensuring the central growth point, or crown, remains intact.
Avoid removing more than one-third of the plant’s total foliage at any single time, as the remaining leaves are necessary for photosynthesis to fuel future growth. Harvesting the outer, older leaves encourages the plant to continue producing new, tender growth from the center. Frequent harvesting also helps to delay bolting. Once a plant bolts, the leaves become tougher and develop a stronger, sometimes bitter flavor, signaling the end of the harvest cycle.