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Fast growing arugula with heavily serrated leaves and upright growth habit. Surrey has the mild, slightly peppery flavour, size, and speed of salad types with the interesting leaf shape of spicier wild varieties. A wonderful addition to mixed green salads with its complimentary flavour and leaf shape, as a topping to pizza and pasta, or on its own as a simple salad with a topping of parmesan cheese.
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Latin
Latin: Eruca sativa (Wild Arugula is Diplotaxis tenuifolia — see below)
Family: Brassicaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty: Easy
We Recommend
We Recommend: Astro (MS483). All arugula varieties are good, but Astro stands out. Grow this variety in cool weather, or try it as a micro-green at any time of year.
Season: Cool season. Arugula tends to bolt in hot weather.
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
Timing
Timing
Direct sow every 3 weeks from mid-March to April and again in September for a fall/winter crop. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 4-12°C (40-50°F).
Starting
Starting
Sow no more than 5mm (¼”) deep in well drained soil in full sun. Thin seedlings to 10-15cm (4-6″) apart in rows 45-60cm (18-24″) apart. Overcrowded plants will bolt earlier. Seeds germinate in 4-8 days.
Days to Maturity
Days to Maturity
From direct sowing.
Growing
Growing
Ideal pH: 6.5-7.0. keep moist until germinated and then just keep the area weeded.
Harvest
Harvest
Use as a cut & come again crop, harvesting with scissors. Baby leaves are mild and tender.
Seed Info
Seed Info
In optimum conditions at least 75% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100′ row: 1.2M seeds, per acre: 348M seeds.
Diseases & Pests
Diseases & Pests
Flea beetles will cause numerous tiny holes in the leaves. If these appear, try planting a couple of weeks later next year, to avoid their laying cycle. Or plant under lightweight row cover.
How to Grow Wild Arugula
How to Grow Wild Arugula
Wild arugula (Diplotaxis tenuifolia and D. erucoides) is a perennial plant that has the advantage of not bolting in hot weather. It has a very similar texture and flavour profile to conventional arugula, and can be used in similar applications: pizza topping, salad green, addition to salad mixes. Plus it can be harvested all summer long, after the other arugula has all gone to seed.
Timing
Timing
Start indoors 2-4 weeks before the last frost and transplant out in late spring.
Starting
Starting
Sow the tiny seeds barely covered with soil. Keep them warm and damp. Germination is slow, so be patient.
Days to Maturity
Days to Maturity
From transplant.
Growing
Growing
Wild arugula has a sprawling habit and feathery, deeply indented leaves. Space plants 10-15cm (4-6") apart in rows 30cm (12") apart. Remember that this perennial plant will re-emerge in spring. Keeping the plants cut will encourage new, more tender growth. Trim the young leaves with scissors as needed.
Seed Info
Seed Info
Usual seed life: 3 years.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
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At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earth’s stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Direct sow every 3 weeks from mid-March to April and again in September for a fall/winter crop. Arugula is a productive, cool season, annual salad green that works best in spring and fall, and can be managed all winter under cloche protection where winters are mild. In hot weather, arugula tends to bolt and go to seed. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 4-12°C (40-50°F).
Sow no more than 5mm (¼”) deep in well drained soil in full sun. Thin seedlings to 10-15cm (4-6″) apart in rows 45-60cm (18-24″) apart. Overcrowded plants will bolt earlier.
Seeds germinate in 4-8 days.
Ideal pH: 6.5-7.0.
In optimum conditions at least 75% of seeds will germinate. Keep moist until germinated and then just keep the area weeded.
Harvest with scissors. Use as a cut & come again crop. Baby leaves are mild and tender.
