Arugula in Zone 11a & 11b

Eruca sativa

When to plant arugula in zone 11b

Zones 11a and 11b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Arugula doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.

Start indoors	Not typically started indoors
Direct sow / transplant outside	Nov 27–Dec 4
Estimated harvest	Jan 6 '27–Jan 13 '27 (~40 days after direct-sowing)

Spacing: 9 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1.5 ft.

Arugula is about as fast as salad greens get, direct-sown and ready to harvest in around 40 days, with a peppery bite that gets sharper as the weather warms.

How arugula fits zone 11's season

Zone 11b is frost-free in this dataset, so frost is not what limits the calendar here. What you can plant, and when, comes down to summer heat and daylength instead.

Good companions

Carrot: Fast-maturing, non-competing salad-garden interplant. (usually zones 2-10, so not a pairing for zone 11b)
Lettuce: Similar light/water needs; grown together as cut-and-come-again greens. (usually zones 2-10, so not a pairing for zone 11b)

Where to buy arugula seeds

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