This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS guide. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS source guide
February and March
April to early September
into October under cloches or biodegradable fleece
August and September indoors or in a greenhouse border
April to early September, once plants are about 10cm tall
early summer to autumn, usually four to six weeks after sowing
autumn into winter, with wild rocket potentially restarting in early spring
Rocket is a compact, peppery member of the mustard family, also called arugula or roquette. It is easy to raise from seed in open ground or containers and can provide its first tender leaves only four to six weeks after sowing. Young leaves are mildest and most tender; older leaves develop a stronger flavour but remain useful for light cooking, stir-fries and sauces. The four-petalled flowers are edible too.
There are two main crop types. Salad or garden rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) is a short-lived annual with relatively broad, delicate and mildly flavoured leaves. It flowers readily in hot weather, so small repeat sowings are essential. Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) is a robust perennial with long, deeply divided leaves, stronger heat and a slower growth rate. It crops over a longer period and may continue through winter under protection.
Both types fit small gardens, patio pots, windowboxes and gaps in a vegetable plot. Regular picking keeps growth young and productive. Allowing a few plants to flower and set seed can produce self-sown seedlings, but flowering normally ends the useful leaf crop of annual salad rocket.
Choose salad rocket for fast, tender leaves and succession cropping. Choose wild rocket for hotter divided foliage, longer-lived plants and extended protected harvests. Named salad cultivars vary in leaf shape, growth speed and pepperiness.
A vigorous salad rocket with dark-green rounded leaves and a strong peppery flavour.
An upright, fast-growing salad rocket whose serrated leaves combine the flavour and appearance of wild rocket with salad rocket’s speed.
A fast-growing salad rocket producing deeply serrated, peppery leaves.
Rocket prefers fertile soil that retains moisture but drains freely. Wild rocket tolerates poorer and drier ground better than salad rocket. Use a sunny position for spring and late-summer sowings. During early and midsummer, give annual salad rocket light shade so the soil stays cooler and flowering is delayed.
Weed the bed, rake away large stones and level the surface. Fork garden compost into light free-draining soil to improve moisture retention. In a no-dig system, lay an organic mulch ahead of sowing and plant directly through its settled surface.
Containers should be at least 30cm wide so compost dries less rapidly. Patio pots, windowboxes, hanging baskets and growing bags can all work if they drain well. Fill them with peat-free multipurpose compost and position summer crops where they can be moved into light shade during hot spells.
Sow small batches every few weeks from spring through late summer for a continuous supply. For an early crop, sow indoors during February and March in small pots or modules of moist peat-free seed compost. Keep them warm and bright. For winter leaves, sow in August or September and retain the plants in a greenhouse or another protected position.
Seedlings normally appear within a few days. Prick them into individual modules if necessary. Harden off indoor-raised plants when they have several leaves, then plant outside at about 10cm tall from April to early September. Space plants 15cm apart and water them in. An autumn planting in a greenhouse border can crop through winter.
Outdoors, sow from April to early September, continuing for about another month under cloches or biodegradable fleece. Make a short drill no more than 1cm deep, water its base, scatter seed thinly, cover lightly and firm. Leave 15cm between rows. Thin seedlings to 15cm apart once they can be handled, using the thinnings in salads. Crowding encourages premature flowering.
For a final container position, scatter seed thinly over moist compost, cover lightly, firm and water. In a greenhouse border, sow shallow drills in late summer and thin plants to 15cm.
Keep soil consistently moist, watering during dry spells. Drought slows leaf production and encourages salad rocket to bolt. Containers dry particularly quickly in warm weather, so check them regularly and move them into a shadier position during hot spells. Weed around ground-grown plants to reduce competition for moisture.
Protect seedlings and young plants from slugs and snails. Pinching out a developing flower stem may extend salad rocket’s harvest briefly, but it cannot prevent an annual plant completing its life cycle. Replace bolting rows with a new succession sowing. Full summer sun, high temperature, drought and crowding all shorten the crop.
Wild rocket behaves differently. It continues producing edible leaves after flowering and may live for several years. Trim an oversized or sprawling plant back to stimulate fresh young foliage. Both types produce edible peppery flowers that can be added to salads.
Begin picking about four to six weeks after sowing. Take a few outer leaves from every plant rather than stripping one specimen, which would recover slowly. Frequent harvesting keeps new growth tender. A row of salad rocket usually provides leaves for one or two months and several pickings before flowering ends the crop.
Young leaves are mild and suited to raw salads; older, hotter leaves can be cooked lightly. Remove annual plants after they bolt and rely on repeat sowings for the next harvest. Pick flowers for eating if desired, or allow selected plants to set seed.
Wild rocket produces hotter, more deeply divided leaves throughout summer and autumn. Under cloches, in a cold frame or in an unheated greenhouse, it may continue into winter and resume in early spring. Unlike annual salad rocket, it can keep producing leaves after flowering.
Harvest a few leaves at a time and trim back sprawling growth to encourage a new flush. Flavour becomes stronger in summer, so pick young leaves regularly for the best texture and balance. Protected plants still need ventilation, moisture checks and inspection for slugs.
Bolting is the main cropping difficulty for salad rocket. Hot dry weather, long days, crowding and interrupted growth cause plants to flower before a useful leaf harvest. Sow small batches, thin promptly, grow summer crops in light shade and water consistently. Flea beetles make many small rounded holes in leaves, particularly on seedlings; established plants usually tolerate cosmetic damage. Slugs and snails can destroy emerging seedlings, especially in sheltered damp conditions.
Premature flowering turns salad leaves tougher and more bitter and ends annual rocket’s useful crop. Maintain even moisture, avoid overcrowding and make succession sowings in seasonally suitable conditions.
Problem sourceSmall jumping beetles pepper foliage with rounded holes during spring and summer. Protect vulnerable seedlings and keep plants growing vigorously; minor damage to established leaves is largely cosmetic.
Problem sourceSeedlings can disappear rapidly in damp weather. Inspect beneath containers and nearby shelter, reduce hiding places and encourage natural predators.
Problem source
