Rocket

Rocket (Eruca vesicaria) is an annual and does not survive a Central European lowland winter permanently outdoors. Sow it anew next year, from March outdoors or in February under glass. With a late-summer sowing in August/September and horticultural fleece when frost threatens, you extend the harvest into mild winter weeks; that is not true overwintering of the plant, however.

You propagate rocket exclusively by sowing; other methods are not practicable for this annual plant. You can start it under cover from March in a sheltered spot or sow directly outdoors from April, as soon as the soil is frost-free and about 15 degrees warm. Sowing is possible until September, so that with succession sowing every 3 to 4 weeks you can harvest continuously. Draw a shallow drill and cover the seeds only thinly with about 0.5 to 1 cm of soil: rocket germinates shallowly and needs only a light covering of soil. Keep the soil evenly moist; the first seedlings appear at 10 to 20 degrees within about 7 to 14 days. After emergence, thin to approx. 5 cm spacing in the row. To save your own seed, let one or two strong plants go on to flower and set seed: harvest the small pods when they turn light brown, dry them further and store the seeds cool, dry and dark until the next season. Under favourable conditions rocket also self-seeds; if you leave the seed heads standing, expect spontaneous seedlings in the same spot the following year.