How to grow rocket

Be it the peppery perennial variety or the milder annual, rocket or arugula adds pep to summer salads. Strew over pizza and cheese dishes as a garnish, add to soups and casseroles, toss into stir-fries at the last minute, try it in pesto mixed with basil or parsley or add to egg sandwiches instead of chives.

SOW AND GROW

Sow seeds: January to December in warm areas; September to March in cooler areas. Transplant seedlings: January to December in warm areas; September to April in cooler areas. Position: Full sun, six or more hours a day. Harvest: 4 to 6 weeks from seed. Good for pots, good for beginners.

GET STARTED

In all but the coldest areas, the fastgrowing annual rocket ( Eruca sativa) can be sown all year round but early spring and early autumn sowings produce the best crops as it tends to bolt to seed or become bitter in mid summer.

Perennial rocket ( Diplotaxis tenuifolia) which confusingly often behaves as an annual under New Zealand conditions, is also called arugula, or wild or Italian rocket. It grows outside all year in all but the coldest regions. Sow outdoors in early autumn.

STEP BY STEP

Rocket seeds are tiny and resent being crowded so mix with sand and sow directly and thinly over well-tilled soil. Press in lightly and be vigilant with watering in warm weather. Seeds should germinate in about 7-14 days. If sowing in trays, take care when transplanting as the long tap root is easily damaged. When plants are about 4cm high, thin successively to about 7cm, then 15cm apart. Rocket grows anywhere but is happiest in some sun and rich, welldrained soil. Once germination takes place, growth is rapid so keep the water supply up.

GROWING TIPS

The better the growing conditions, the better the flavour of both rockets. Although their long tap roots enable them to survive a certain amount of drought, lack of water affects their flavour and tenderness.

Heat causes plants to bolt. In summer give them a spot with morning sun and some shade during the hottest part of the day. Both types will bolt in the heat, but perennial rocket is less likely to because it is slower-growing generally. Wild rocket is a short-lived perennial and will grow all through winter, although if stressed, especially by heat and lack of moisture, it will act as an annual and rush to flower, set seed (and die) all too soon.

Annual rocket will go to seed as a matter of course – and once a flowering shoot rises up from the centre of the leaves, the leaves will start to taste too strongly peppery and slightly bitter. So sow regularly and let a few plants self-seed. Under most circumstances, both varieties will

pop up again with little encouragement. Flowers on both may be eaten: they have a similar, but slightly sweeter and milder flavour to the leaves. And as a bonus the flowers of both rockets give off a lovely perfume in the evenings.

The optimum stage for tenderness and flavour is when the leaves are about 8cm to 10cm high. Regular picking keeps growth young and tender. If growing annual rocket indoors or under cover as a microgreen, sow thickly and keep moist. Treat the crop as cut-andcome-again – a plant cut back to 3cm will send up new leaves. Or harvest by picking a few leaves at a time from several plants.

STANDOUT VARIETIES

Go for the quick-growing slow-to bolt annual ‘‘Rocket Runaway’’ that has deeply serrated leaves resembling those of dandelions or the perennial rocket. Or try the very tasty and hardy perennial ‘‘Voyager’’.