Have a blast with your own rocket
ROCKET is a leafy salad that really lives up to its name. Sow a pinch of seeds in a sunny spot now and they’ll soon blast off, rewarding you with loads of peppery leaves within 21 days. Apart from being dead easy to grow, the flavour of fresh leaves is far superior to the contents found inside those pillow bags sold in shops.
Despite what you might think, rocket doesn’t get its common name because its super-speedy. It actually comes from its Italian name, rucola, which itself comes from the plant’s Latin name of Eruca.
And its leaves don’t just taste good but they’re also considered a superfood, as a good source of vitamins B, C, E and K.
The humble salad leaf has a long history. It was first mentioned in the Old Testament’s Book of Kings, meaning it’s been eaten since at least the 6th Century BC.
It was very popular with the Romans, who considered it an aphrodisiac – poet Virgil wrote that it ‘excites the sexual desire of drowsy people’.
Most seed companies stock a handful of different varieties. Wild rocket is the one you’ll recognize from supermarkets, with its attractive frilly leaves and pungent taste. Other good ones include ‘Discovery’, ‘Dragon’s Tongue’ and ‘Sweet
Oakleaf’. Rocket will thrive in a sunny spot. Improve soil by digging and raking until the surface is even and the top 2-3in has the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Next, make a shallow groove with the end of a garden cane and trickle seeds along the base, aiming to space them about 4in apart. Cover the trench with soil and water.
Another option is to raise them in pots, window boxes or trays. Fill your container to the top with multipurpose compost and firm with the base of another pot to leave a level finish.
Scatter seeds thinly across the surface and cover with a ½in layer of finely sieved compost. Label and water.
Shoots usually appear within seven to 14 days, depending on variety and the weather.
Make sure plants have plenty of space to develop by thinning out seedlings when they are large enough to handle (about 1½in tall). Simply pull up with your fingers, leaving remaining seedlings about 4in apart.
Leaves will be ready for harvesting about three weeks after sowing, when about 2in tall – take a few leaves as required from around the outside of plants, to ensure they produce plenty of fresh growth from the centre. Keep plants well-watered and they should provide pickings for around a month or so.