Rocket Seeds - Salad Rocket

1120 Seeds.

Other Names - Arugula...

Salad Rocket has larger serrated leaves compared to wild rocket making it much easier to harvest. Its pepper flavoured leaves are not as hot and intense as the wild variety which some people prefer. Salad Rocket can be grown in containers and is an easy and fast leafy green to grow during the cooler months.

• Produces a large leaf compared to wild rocket making it easier to harvest.
• Ideal for containers.
• Fast and easy to grow during the cooler months.

Suitable For - Vegetable plot, raised beds, container garden, limited space

Sowing Months - March - August, September

Harvest - May - October, November - April from a September sowing

Gardening is about finding the right balance! Try growing Companion Plants close by to help deter pests.

• Peas are good companion plants to grow next to rocket especially the taller varieties as they can create some welcomed shade on hot sunny days which will help to keep the soil moist and prevent the rocket from bolting under the stress of the hot sun.
• Other good examples of shade giving plants are climbing French beans and runner beans.

Soil Preperation

Add some well rotted manure or compost to the soil a few months before sowing or planting, remove weeds and 1 - 2 weeks before sowing or planting add some general purpose organic fertilizer to the bed.

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Rocket can be grown in clumps of plants. Sow 4 - 5 seeds per 4 cm module. Once germination starts move to an area with good daylight exposure, a windowsill or greenhouse is ideal.
When the seedlings are big enough to handle, thin to 2 - 3 strong seedlings per module. 2 - 4 weeks later plant out into their final growing position. Early sowings may need to be kept indoors a little longer as their growth may be slower. Plant at the distance suggested above. Firm the soil around each clump of plants and water well.
Rocket grown over the summer months will benefit from a covering of fine insect mesh to help keep brassica pests such as flea beetle away.

Direct Sowing

Sow thinly at the depth and row distance suggested above. Cover the seeds with soil and water well. Cover summer sowings with fine insect mesh to protect the young seedlings from flea beetle attack. Gradually over a few weeks thin the crop to one strong seedling every 10 - 15 cm. The thinning's should be big enough to eat.

Growing On

Water well in dry weather. Weed regularly to keep competing plants under control. Rocket grown for summer harvests will need to be sown little and often, every 14 - 20 days to keep the kitchen in good supply over the summer months.
Rocket is an easier leafy green to grow during the cooler months as it is less likely to run to seed (bolt) prematurely and in the cooler months of autumn there will be less insects around to damage the leaves.
To have a long supply of fresh rocket leaves available over the cooler months it is advisable to sow a selection of both salad and wild rocket in autumn rather than just the one variety. One sowing of salad rocket in autumn will produce more leaves over the winter months compared to the wild variety, however salad rocket will run to seed earlier in early April. A sowing of wild rocket in autumn however can produce leaves up until the following summer. Pickings over the winter months however will be smaller if any as leaf growth of wild rocket will be slow up until early spring.
Rocket is hardy however outdoor grown plants will benefit from being covered with a cloche or some horticultural fleece before the winter weather arrives. Protected plants are more likely to produce more and better quality leaves. Container grown rocket should be moved indoors into a greenhouse or a cool conservatory over the winter months.

Harvesting

Harvest the biggest leaves with scissors or a sharp knife, leaving the smaller leaves to grow larger for the next harvest. Avoid cutting too many leaves at one time as the plant may take a long time to recover.
Rocket leaves are best picked while young otherwise the flavour intensifies with age. Pick regularly to encourage more leaves to grow. Summer grown rocket will attempt to run to seed early, however if the flower stems are removed promptly the plant may carry on producing more leaves.
Salad varieties will steadily grow new leaves over the winter months, so pickings can be steady during this time up until early April when the plants naturally run to seed.