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.

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

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

Water

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

1
Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.
2
Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.
3
Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.
4
Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

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