Arugula, Esmee

Esmee's deeply lobed, dark green leaves look gorgeous in salad mixes and bring a nutty flavor that's way less spicy than typical arugula. Cold-tolerant and incredibly productive, you can harvest the same plants 3-4 times throughout the season for continuous fresh greens.

Arugula: Arugula is the ultimate instant-gratification crop, delivering spicy, nutty leaves in just 3-4 weeks. This fast-maturing brassica offers a distinctive, peppery mustard kick that elevates everything from pizza and pesto to salads and sandwiches. Packed with vitamins A, C, and K, its flavor intensifies as the leaves mature. The edible white flowers add a sweet-spicy element, and its cold-hardiness and rapid growth make it perfect for succession planting from early spring through fall. A self-sowing powerhouse that ensures continuous harvest.

• Growing Tips: Transplant 2-3 weeks before last expected frost for spring crops or in late summer for fall harvest, spacing plants 6 inches apart; thrives in cool weather (optimal 50-65°F); plant every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest.

• Sun Requirements: Full sun in cool seasons; benefits from partial or afternoon shade in summer heat to prevent premature bolting and extend the harvest window.

• Preferred Soil: Rich, fertile, well-drained soil with consistent moisture and moderate nitrogen; target pH 6.0-7.0.

• Harvest Details: Begin cutting outer leaves when they reach 2-3 inches long; for cut-and-come-again harvests, cut the entire plant 1 inch above the soil every 10-14 days; quality declines rapidly when temperatures exceed 75°F.