Arugula Follow Up

Our lonely arugula. Soon to be joined by four more friends

We mentioned that we were raising some Arugula from seed back in mid-August (yes, it has been that long - see The more the merrier - Arugula). For comparison we posted a picture of our arugula today. Definitely not pretty but oh so tasty. A the time we promised a follow-up which hadn't happened until today (no, not because I'm lazy although that was a good guess). The reason for the delay is that I wanted to know if the arugula would bolt in Puerto Rico's hot weather. Two months later the plant hasn't bolted yet and we're harvesting leaves every week or so. We felt so encouraged by this that we planted four seeds a few days ago which have already sprouted into four tiny plants. This should give us enough arugula for a few tasty salads (nice!).

Arugula is a green leaf with a growth pattern similar to open-leaf lettuce. It has a peppery flavor which contrasts with other mild-flavored green leafs such as spinach or lettuce. Young leaves develop at the center of the plant and expand outward as they grow. Once the leaves reach full size they may harvested one leaf at a time. Remember not to take too many leaves or they plant may die. Since arugula is considered a cool season vegetable it is recommended that it be planted during the "cooler" months (September - March) to avoid bolting. Also, provide some shade during the hotter hours of the day. That being said bolting is inevitable. Once it happens you can remove the plant or allow it to go to seed. The flowers are also edible and can be added to salads to give it a spicy punch.

We definitely recommend having this plant in your container garden. Arugula is uncommon or non-existent in Puerto Rico supermarkets so your best bet is to raise it from seed which is fairly simple. Just plant, water and harvest. Have you raised arugula in Puerto Rico? Share your experiences with us in the comments section.