Rocket: Salad Rocket
Eruca sativa
Approx. 500 seeds per gram

Rocket is so fast and easy to grow. If we could only grow one thing on our plot, and had to choose, rocket would be it. Rocket works in growbags, pots, or in the smallest patch of garden. The flavour is perfect. It is spicy and aromatic, but not too hot, and picked fresh from the garden there is nothing better. It is grown predominately for the leaves, but the flowers are also edible. It is also high in antioxidants, vitamin C and iron.

Rocket is a member of the brassica family. It originates from the Mediterranean region and is particularly popular in Italy where it is known as rucola.

The selection we call Salad Rocket is a professional standard variety which is our fastest grower. It is particularly recommended for the earliest spring crops under-cover and the late season sowings from September onwards. It will run to seed in the hottest summer weather. This variety has a fine spicy taste.

• Sow the seeds from April to September in prepared ground.
• Thin as required to a spacing of up to 15cm for mature plants. You can pick the leaves of young plants as soon as they are ready but if you let some plants mature the leaves will get quite large and more peppery.
• Succession sow throughout the season (although the plants will go to seed in hot, dry weather).
• You can also grow rocket in large pots and other containers. Just sprinkle some seed onto good quality compost and keep watered. To grow in a growbag cut a rectangle of plastic away from the top of the bag and sprinkle seed onto the compost.

Pests and diseases:

Rocket is a brassica so it can suffer from flea beetle.

• Usually used raw in salads, on its own, or mixed with other leaves. It combines extremely well with tomatoes and basil, or in a salad with avocado and walnuts.
• Try it combined with roasted squash, feta and pine nuts. Rocket can also be cooked lightly on the top of pizza or stirred into hot pasta dishes.