• Features: A cool season annual. Plants look a little like a dandelion, but more open. Peppery, mustard-flavored leaves.
• When to plant: Early spring or fall
• Light: Full sun is best but will tolerate partial shade.
• Soil: Well drained, warm, dry soil. Too much moisture or wet soil will cause the beans to rot. They prefer soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.
• Spacing: 15cm (6") apart
• Height: 15 to 30cm (6-12") in height while in harvest stage.
• Growing tips: Leaves grow best in cool weather.
• Garden use: Containers, vegetable and herb gardens and raised garden beds.
• Culinary use: The leaves of arugula provide a spicy zap when added to a salad. You can also sauté or steam them like spinach or other leafy greens.

Once they bolt in late spring or early summer, the bloom stalks may grow 60 to 90cm (24-36") with white flowers on top, which signals that it is time to make room for warm-weather crops. However, some gardeners continue to harvest the leaves even from the tall plants, liking the stronger taste. You can even cut them back and pick some more until you finally tire of that and then pull them up and wait until fall to plant again.