Arugula: How to Grow Vitamin Greens in Just 30 Days

Arugula is the perfect crop for those who don't like to wait. It takes just over a month from sowing to your first salad. This green is valued for its nutty, peppery flavor, but it can be quite picky about temperature and neighbors.

The Main Secret: Shade and Moisture

If you plant arugula in the scorching sun, it will quickly bolt (produce seeds) and become bitter and inedible. For succulent leaves, it needs:

• Shade: In our garden planner, arugula is marked as a shade-tolerant crop. It’s an ideal option for planting under tall tomatoes or cucumbers.
• Soil: Fertile Loamy soils (Type 1) are best. The earth must be kept constantly moist.
• Watering: If arugula lacks water, it immediately starts to taste overly bitter.

Companionship: Who to Avoid?

While arugula is friendly to most vegetables, it has "sworn enemies":

• Brassicas: Do not plant arugula near cabbage, broccoli, or radishes. They share the same pests — flea beetles — which can destroy seedlings in a single day.
• Best Friends: Onions and garlic help repel pests from arugula's delicate leaves with their strong scent.

AgroPlanner Tip: Due to its fast growth, arugula can be sown every two weeks throughout spring and autumn. In our planner, you can mark zones where early crops (like radishes) have already been harvested and "sow" them with arugula for efficient space management.