Growing Rocket, also Arugula/Rucola

Eruca vesicaria : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  P P           P P P  

(Best months for growing Rocket in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 - 8 inches apart
  • Harvest in 21-35 days.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Lettuce

Your comments and tips

03 Feb 21, Debbie Millington (Australia - temperate climate)
learning to grow rocket. When flowers appear, should I pluck them off? When picking rocket to eat should I pluck off individual leaves or snip off a stalk? Many thanks
05 Feb 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Pick before flowering ans just take few leaves or stalks at a time.
26 Jun 20, Steve Haigh (Australia - tropical climate)
i'm actually in Thailand but that wasn't an option so i chose Australia tropical. what tips would you give for hot and humid climates? should i put in indirect light or in the open with shade cloth? what about watering, should i mist to keep to cooler? thanks
29 Jun 20, Anonymous (Australia - tropical climate)
You have to look through the different climate zones to see how planting times vary in different zones. By this website they advise against growing rocket in the tropics. You could counter this by putting in a very light shade cloth 10-20% if you can buy it, I have 30% cloth but it is only for protection while seedlings establish the first week after planting out. If you use artificial light it has to have red and blue light, like a fluro. Watering would be about keeping the soil moist not wet. It is a bit of trial and error to work things out when you are new to things.
03 Feb 20, Andrea Hazeldine (New Zealand - temperate climate)
We live in the bush, with less sun hours than most. Will it still be possible to grow Rocket?
04 Feb 20, (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Some plants need 4-6 hrs sunlight per day some need 6-8 hrs etc. Look up the internet for hrs of sunlight needed for vegetables. You can only give it a try.
25 Mar 19, Annika Irving (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi! If I put a polypropylene tunnel over the rocket, will it survive during winter? I'm in Nelson. We do get morning frosts in my area. Cheers, Annika
22 Feb 18, Bruce (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I'm new to growing rocket, my question is - once you have harvested rocket, can you let it re-grow and harvest again, if so how many times can you harvest of the one plant or once you have harvested, must you replant
30 Sep 22, Lindsay (USA - Zone 8b climate)
In Vancouver. Just pick 1/2 or 1/3 of the leaves and it will continue to regenerate. I've been doing that for months now. I pinch the flowers to prevent bolting but will probably let a few go so it can self seed for next year.
08 Feb 18, Amanda (Australia - temperate climate)
My roquettes new leaves are starting to have hairs on the leaves and stems? What does this mean and can i eat them?
Showing 11 - 20 of 125 comments

You could just pick the flower out and let them keep growing but as a rule when rocket flowers it becomes bitter and not very nice to eat.The problem with using a seedling with rocket is when u plant the seedling it can sometimes give the plant the wrong message and make it think its going to die so they go into survival mode hence the early flowers. I would recommend that you pull them up and start again. Try direct sowing seeds they have a very high germination rate so are not hard to grow from seeds. Also i would suggest you grow them in a pot because they have the potential to become a weed in gardens and turf.

- Sri

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