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How to grow rocket in the UK
Rocket is one of the fastest and easiest salad leaves. It grows best in cool, moist weather and can be cut within weeks.
Salad rocket or wild rocket?
The RHS describes two kinds. Salad rocket is an annual with broad, mild leaves. It gives fresh leaves for a month or two and should be removed once it flowers. Wild rocket is a perennial with narrower, more peppery leaves. It keeps producing leaves through summer and autumn, and may carry on into winter if protected. If you want a long season from one sowing, choose wild rocket.
When to sow
The RHS says to sow outdoors from April to early September, with about a month more at either end if you cover the crop with cloches or fleece. Indoors, sow in February and March for earlier crops, or in August and September for winter harvests in a greenhouse. Sow small batches every few weeks so you are not left with a glut followed by a gap. See the sowing calendar.
How to sow
- Rake the soil to a fine surface.
- Make a shallow drill, up to 1cm deep, and water along the base.
- Scatter the seed thinly, cover lightly and firm gently.
- Thin seedlings to about 15cm apart, with 15cm between rows. Eat the thinnings in salads.
Do not skip the thinning. The RHS notes that overcrowded plants flower sooner.
Watering and bolting
Keep the soil moist and water during dry spells to prevent early bolting (running to flower). In hot weather in containers, move the pots to a shadier spot to delay flowering. Once plants flower, the leaves turn coarse, so pull them out and sow a replacement. The flowers themselves are edible if you fancy a peppery garnish.
Pests
Protect seedlings and young plants from slugs and snails. Flea beetles may nibble small holes in the leaves, but the RHS calls this just cosmetic damage, so the leaves remain fine to eat once washed. Fine mesh can keep beetles off if the holes bother you.
Harvesting
Start picking about four to six weeks after sowing. Take a few leaves from each plant rather than stripping one plant bare. Rocket wilts quickly, so pick close to mealtime or store unwashed leaves in the fridge for a few days.
Rocket in containers
Use a pot, window box or growing bag at least 30cm wide, filled with peat-free multi-purpose compost. Sow thinly and water well. See our container guide.
In the kitchen
Peppery rocket suits pizza, pasta, risotto and sandwiches. Try the ideas in cooking ideas. If you want contrast, grow it alongside bitter radicchio.
Quick troubleshooting
- Leaves very hot or bitter: usually dry soil or heat. Water more and sow in partial shade in summer.
- Plants flowering early: crowded or stressed. Thin properly and keep moist.
- Seedlings vanishing: look for slugs in the evening.
Wild rocket as a perennial
Because wild rocket is perennial, one planting can keep going for several seasons if you protect it in winter and cut it back after flowering. Cut flowering stems to encourage fresh leaf growth. Some gardeners sow wild rocket in a permanent spot along the edge of a bed and use it as a cut-and-come-again crop.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my rocket bolt?
Dry soil, overcrowding and hot weather make it flower early. Thin to about 15cm, keep it watered and move containers to a shadier spot in hot spells.
Are flea beetle holes a problem?
The RHS describes the damage as just cosmetic. Wash the leaves and eat them, or cover the crop with fine mesh.
How soon can I pick rocket?
About four to six weeks after sowing, taking a few leaves from each plant.