Download: Growing Arugula Problems: 6 Top Issues
Arugula is generally considered a trouble-free vegetable especially when you provided the vegetable with adequate water and planted it in rich loamy and moist soil with a pH that is near neutral.
However, sometimes, you may be wondering “why is my arugula not growing”. There are many reasons that can hinder the healthy growth of your arugula plant. Keep reading to find out while I’m discussing the common arugula growing problems.
1. Arugula is more susceptible to pests
Despite this, arugula has innate hardiness and also a short growth to harvest cycle. But, it is sometimes more susceptible to beetles and cabbage worms when grown in warm weather. So, to avoid this problem, you need to either grow the plant in spring or fall. However, you can also grow arugula in warm weather if you can invest your time in mulching and regular watering.
Related: How To Grow Broccoli From Scraps And Seeds
2. Arugula go to seed or bolt easily
Another problem you can face when growing arugula is bolting. Arugula can go to seed so easy especially during extreme cold or warm weather. This is very bad if you are growing the arugula for vegetable purposes. This can also be prevented by timely harvesting the leaves and shading when the temperature is too high or low.
3. Arugula is more susceptible to Downy mildew
Arugula plant is also more susceptible to downy mildew disease. This is a common disease of plants that causes spots or irregular brown flecks on the bottoms and tops of arugula leaves. The disease is caused by a fungal organism. If you want to avoid this arugula growing problem, avoid flooding your arugula leaves with water.
Always water the base of the plant if you want to irrigate them. Another way to control the disease is to avoid planting the arugula seeds or cuttings too closely. Always space them about 3-5 inches apart.
4. More susceptible to bacterial leaf spot
Another common arugula growing problem is bacterial leaf spot disease. This disease is caused by bacteria. This can occur when you grow arugula in an extreme cool-season. Symptoms include yellowing of leaves and brown spots on arugula leaves. To avoid this problem, always a time when you will plant your arugula. Always grow them in a suitable growing temperature of arugula.
5. Arugula is more susceptible to Damping-off disease
The damping-off disease is a fungal disease that can affect the healthy growth of the arugula plants. This disease usually occurs when you planted your arugula seeds in a non-ventilated area and waterlogged soil. The seeds usually germinate poorly or die up. If you want to avoid this problem, you need to always plant or start your arugula seeds in a well-ventilated area and well-drained soil or potting mixes.
Related: How To Grow Spinach From Cuttings And Seeds
6. Arugula leaves turn to bitter so easily
Arugula is one of the fast-growing vegetables, which can only take about 35-40 days to become ready for harvesting. So, when you leave the leaves without harvesting them timely, the leaves can easily turn bitter and they may not be palatable for consumption. To avoid this problem, always harvest leaves before they mature.
Conclusion
Arugula is one of the easy-to-grow vegetables that does not require much gardening care and maintenance. The vegetable only requires to be planted in a well fertile, well-drained soil with a pH that is near neutral. However, sometimes, you can face some challenges while you are growing arugula especially when you fail to follow the best arugula growing practices. In this article, I discussed arugula growing problems and how you can avoid them. I hope you will find this article helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.
