How to grow Rocket in Australia

Where to plant

Rocket likes fertile soil that holds some moisture. In cool weather, give it full sun; as the weather warms, a spot with light shade helps it last longer before it bolts (runs to flower).

It is short lived, so the trick is to sow small amounts often, every few weeks, rather than one big patch.

• South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth: sow from March to September. Summer sowings bolt within weeks.
• Melbourne: sow from March to September. Autumn and winter crops are the best.
• Hobart: sow from August to March. The cool summers mean far less bolting than on the mainland.
• Canberra: sow from February to April and again from August to October. Summer heat makes it bolt, and midwinter soil is too cold for good germination.
• North Queensland and Darwin: sow in the dry season, from May to September.

Choosing a variety

• Salad rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) is the common annual, with broad, rounded leaves. It grows quickly and is short lived. Look for slow-bolting selections for warmer weather.
• Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) has narrow, deeply cut leaves and a stronger peppery taste. It is a perennial that keeps producing over a long period, even in poorer, drier soil, and is slower to bolt.

How to plant

1. Sow seed directly into the bed or a pot, in shallow drills no more than 1 cm deep.
2. Keep the soil moist. Seedlings appear within a few days to a week.
3. Thin the seedlings to about 15 cm apart, and eat the thinnings.
4. Sow another short row every three to six weeks for a steady supply.

Watering and feeding

Water regularly and keep the soil evenly moist. Dry soil and hot weather are the two things that make rocket bolt and turn fiercely bitter.

Dig in compost before sowing. A light liquid feed every couple of weeks keeps the leaves tender, but rocket does not need much.

Pruning and care through the year

• Pick often to keep new leaves coming.
• When salad rocket sends up a flower stalk, the leaves become tougher and hotter. Pull the plant and sow again, or leave a few to flower for bees and seed.
• Cut wild rocket back after flowering and it will reshoot.

Harvesting

Start picking about four to six weeks after sowing. Take a few outer leaves from each plant rather than stripping one, and the centre keeps growing. Young leaves are the mildest.

The white or yellow four-petalled flowers are edible, with the same peppery flavour. Rocket keeps three to four days in the fridge wrapped loosely in a damp cloth.

Growing in pots

Rocket is ideal for pots, troughs and balcony boxes. Use a container at least 20 to 30 cm wide so it does not dry out too fast, fill it with good potting mix, and keep it moist. Move the pot into light shade as the weather warms.

Using it

Use rocket fresh in salads, on pizza after baking, in sandwiches and wraps, or wilted into pasta. It makes a good peppery pesto. The flowers make a pretty, edible garnish.

Saving seed

Let a couple of plants flower and set seed pods. When the pods turn pale and dry, cut the stems, dry them in a paper bag and shake out the seed. Rocket often self-seeds in the garden as well.