Planting Arugula

barbarella67 3/21/2010, 3:05 pm

Can someone tell me how many to plant per sq ft?

Thanks!! Planting Arugula Icon_flower

Daylily13 3/21/2010, 3:29 pm

I planted 4 per square foot.

barbarella67 3/21/2010, 3:58 pm

that's what we thought it should be. thx!

**donnainzone5** 3/21/2010, 4:01 pm

Whatever you do, don't let arugula go to seed, or you'll have an arugula farm!

That said, how much do you like this culinary weed? I usually grow two in a square foot, along with two lettuces. Just guessing, I think four per sf is about right.

barbarella67 3/21/2010, 5:00 pm

It's my husband who is tending the garden right now. I haven't eaten arugula that much, but I'm sure it will be a nice addition. He went ahead and planted 4.

Nicola 6/2/2010, 7:36 pm

I'm glad I did a search! I was thinking more like 9 per square, never having grown it before. On another site (Front Yard Food) people were talking how yummy arugula flowers are, so I figured I'd try that. Now I consider myself warned to only grow 4/square, and don't let any go to seed, (i.e., eat those flowers I'm gonna let happen!) Thanks.

martha 6/2/2010, 10:06 pm

arugula can be spicy hot! the larger the leaves get, the spicier. I agree with Donnainzone10 - they will reseed enthusiastically.

What I do with arugula is broadcast seed and pick them while they are quite small.

Or, if there are milder varieties that don't get so hot - let me know!!!

L&K-IL 6/2/2010, 10:31 pm

I did 4 per SF. Harvest it when the leaves plus stems are about 3" long. I let mine go longer (too long) and it bolted QUICK. From seed to harvest tonight was 27 days, and two of the plants have bolted.
You should keep the soil moist as well. The hotter/drier it gets, the faster it will bolt. We've barely broken 80 here if that gives you any idea. It's really much better in the shade vs. full sunlight.

I like the taste, and yes it is peppery and spicy. It tastes amazing on a homemade pizza with arugula and prosciutto with a white wine or light sauce. Yummy!

I'll probably pull mine out before it dumps seeds and plant something else.

good luck!

martha 6/2/2010, 10:53 pm

I like the idea of it on pizza - thanks! (Prosciutto doesn't sound bad, either!)

chocolatepop 6/2/2010, 11:00 pm

i did 9/sg because i pick em small. and they are DELISH

plb 6/3/2010, 3:22 am

I put about 16 per square because I like to pick it when it's still small. It seems to be growing just fine.

Icemaiden 6/3/2010, 4:59 am

The very best way to plant it is deeply... about six foot deep should do the trick Planting Arugula Icon_wink

I really can't stand the stuff, give me watercress any day Planting Arugula Icon_lol

PeggyC 6/3/2010, 9:39 am

Icemaiden wrote:The very best way to plant it is deeply... about six foot deep should do the trick

I really can't stand the stuff, give me watercress any day

I agree. grew the stuff last year. what a waste of squares!! This year it's spinach all the way!

Nicola 8/25/2010, 10:14 pm

... and even my arugula, until I just noticed one little white flower in their square yesterday. Guess I better keep my word, and start munching flowers soon. I've decided that it's okay, flavor-wise, but not as exiting as I was expecting/hoping.

miinva 8/26/2010, 12:13 pm

I think it's delicious when picked small, but the bigger leaves don't have the depth of flavor, they just get spicy, in my opinion.

greenhome 6/30/2013, 11:45 am

I adore arugula, so there's never too much for me! I'm glad someone has tried 16 per square, that's what I'll do next time.

I'm also glad that it sows itself; so does dill and it's just a matter of leaving it alone to get an annual (and early) harvest.

I add a few leaves to the salad, and it makes a great pesto.

Like most great foods, it's an acquired taste. I mean, no one is born craving caviar either!

**gwennifer** 6/30/2013, 3:09 pm

Thanks for the bump on this. (I miss Martha, who commented on this thread!) I do need to try growing arugula again. We used to have another member who sowed mini salad squares every week. Three little rows per square: One row of lettuce, one row of arugula, and then I think a row of radishes? Always meant to try that. I had great success with a couple of squares of micro greens one year that I simply scattered thickly all across the squares and then cut down with scissors when everything was only a couple of inches tall. They grew right back and I cut again. I bet I'd have better luck growing arugula that way then when I tried spacing them and getting full size plants before.

greenhome 6/30/2013, 3:27 pm

This summer, I'm growing mesclun by scattering it over a whole square.

For my fall plantings, I might include some arugula seeds in some of the squares, though unlike some I do like it fully grown, and the flowers are a beautiful and succulent addition to the salad.

**donnainzone5** 6/30/2013, 4:17 pm

Let one plant go to seed, and you'll have the arugula farm of your dreams!

greenhome 6/30/2013, 6:12 pm

Good! Then I can start an arugula business!

It grew wild on my (alkaline soil) farm in Mexico, but seemed to limit itself to certain areas there. I never saw it invade the vegetable beds.

I don't know how it will do in the acidic soil in the thick meadow that adjoins my SFG. I would love to have it establish itself there, along with dill and the existing dandelions and wild strawberries, which I also eat.

And if it sprouts in my SFG beds, well I will just pluck it and eat it!

ChuckD 1/9/2020, 1:49 am

I would plant it very thickly, because I like it best when it is young and tender - little baby leaves.

I planted a couple plants on a hillside next to a fence, and then I had to leave on a business trip, when I returned it had bolted, so I left it and figured I'd harvest the seeds. I got about 2 cups of seed, and left the rest . . . it scattered and the birds spread it. Now that entire hillside is covered in Arugula. It turns out to make a good ground cover plant.

Does anyone know any ways to preserve Arugula?

markqz 1/10/2020, 8:53 pm

ChuckD wrote: I got about 2 cups of seed, and left the rest . . . it scattered and the birds spread it.

How do you harvest the seed?

Last year I became impatient waiting for the arugula to grow -- it kept getting attacked by some little varmints. Then I discovered SFG and spent my gardening time setting it up, planting, etc. I ignored the arugula which recovered and bolted. Now the ground is covered with little arugula plants. I'm thinking that I don't need to grow arugula in my SFG any more, which will free up some squares for crops that need more TLC.

ChuckD 1/11/2020, 1:51 am

markqz wrote:
ChuckD wrote: I got about 2 cups of seed, and left the rest . . . it scattered and the birds spread it.

How do you harvest the seed?

Last year I became impatient waiting for the arugula to grow -- it kept getting attacked by some little varmints. Then I discovered SFG and spent my gardening time setting it up, planting, etc. I ignored the arugula which recovered and bolted. Now the ground is covered with little arugula plants. I'm thinking that I don't need to grow arugula in my SFG any more, which will free up some squares for crops that need more TLC.

The first step is to stop watering as soon as the seed pods start to form, this will speed the growth of the seeds and the drying of the pods. Once the pods are dry, pluck them off, crack them open and extract the seeds. If the birds are stealing your seeds you can A) let them (they will spread the seed throughout your yard), or B) cover the plant with netting or plastic bags, or C) dig the whole plant up and replant in pots indoors (maybe in a garage).

Even if you don't "harvest" the seed, as long as you let a couple plants go to seed and just leave them alone you will always have arugula. If you scatter arugula seed, cilantro seed, basil seed, & dill seed; let the seeds become plants, let the plants go to seed, let the seeds scatter on their own, and you will have self seeding arugula, cilantro, basil, & dill in perpetuity.

**sanderson** 1/11/2020, 3:31 am

Hi, Chuck. Welcome to the Forum! $glad you\'re here$

markqz 1/11/2020, 4:56 pm

ChuckD wrote:If you scatter arugula seed, cilantro seed, basil seed, & dill seed; let the seeds become plants, let the plants go to seed, let the seeds scatter on their own, and you will have self seeding arugula, cilantro, basil, & dill in perpetuity.

Down here you see fennel growing by the roadside everywhere, towering 6 to 8 feet. I've often wondered if it would be usable (safe) to use in cooking.

Sponsored content

Planting Arugula

Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Arugula Spacing

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Forgot about this arugula topic...

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula

Re: Planting Arugula


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.