Arugula Planned

Arugula ('Astro' salad arugula and 'Wild'/Sylvetta arugula grown side by side) runs two seasons in Decatur's Zone 8a: a fall sowing in September that carries through the mild winter into a big harvest, and a shorter spring sowing in February-March that races the early heat, though the two types behave differently once things warm up.

1. 1

   Sowing

   Early-mid September (fall crop) or mid-February to early March (spring crop)

   You'll see Astro seed is small and round, tan to reddish-brown; Wild (Sylvetta) seed is even smaller and slower to show, since it's a different, wilder species.

   Do Direct sow both 1/4 inch deep, keeping the soil surface damp until sprouting.

   Details
2. 2

   Seedling

   Days 5-21 after sowing

   You'll see Astro shows the familiar deeply notched, oak-leaf-shaped true leaf typical of salad arugula; Wild arugula's true leaves are narrower, more finely divided, and almost feathery by comparison.

   Do Thin Astro to 3-4 inches apart for baby greens, and Wild arugula to 6-8 inches since it grows into a bushier, longer-lived clump.

   Details
3. 3

   Cut-and-come-again harvest

   Starting 21-40 days after sowing, continuing for weeks to months depending on the type

   You'll see Astro's leaves reach 4-6 inches with a peppery, mustard-like bite; Wild arugula stays lower and bushier with narrower, more deeply lobed leaves and a sharper, more pungent, slightly nutty flavor.

   Do Harvest outer leaves from both, or shear Astro to an inch above the crown; Wild arugula regrows best when picked leaf by leaf rather than sheared hard.

   Details
4. 4

   Bolting

   Late May into June for Astro, considerably later or barely at all for Wild arugula

   You'll see Astro sends up a central stalk with narrow leaves and small white, purple-veined flowers; Wild arugula flowers on and off over a much longer season without necessarily giving up its leaf production, its flowers a brighter yellow.

   Do Harvest Astro's remaining leaves promptly once it bolts, since they turn bitter fast; Wild arugula can often keep being picked even while flowering.

   Details
5. 5

   Seed saving

   4-8 weeks after flowering, once seed pods dry from green to brown

   You'll see Astro's flower stalks form slim, brown, brittle pods; Wild arugula's pods are similar but on a different, more branching flower structure.

   Do Cut dry seed stalks into a paper bag once pods are dry and brittle, then crush and winnow to separate seed from chaff.

   Details

Techniques — transplant, prune, propagate, divide, seed