Growing Rocket in Scotland: The Complete Guide

Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa (salad rocket); Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket)

"Rocket" covers two different plants: a quick annual salad rocket and a perennial wild rocket that crops for years. They suit different plots and need different handling.

Salad rocket is quick, milder and more tender, and gives leaves for a month or two before it flowers and finishes. Wild rocket has hot, spicy leaves, keeps producing for years, and tolerates poorer soil. Treat them as two crops that share a name, not one plant grown two ways.

Preparing the ground

Salad rocket wants fertile soil that holds some moisture: fork in garden compost beforehand, or mulchA layer of material spread over the soil around plants to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and improve soil structure as it breaks down. Full definition → over the top for a no-digA growing method that avoids turning the soil over, building fertility instead by adding organic matter on the surface. Full definition → bed. Wild rocket is more forgiving and grows well even in poorer, drier ground, so it's worth putting in a spare corner rather than giving it the same soil-prep effort as the annual type.

Sowing

Sow outdoors April to early September, extending a further month with clochesA small, portable clear cover placed over an individual plant or short row to trap warmth and keep off wind, rain and pests. Full definition → or fleeceA lightweight, breathable fabric laid or draped over plants to trap a little warmth and keep off frost, wind and some flying pests. Full definition →. An indoor sowing in February or March gives an earlier crop, moved outdoors once seedlings reach about 10cm tall and have been hardened offGradually getting young plants raised indoors used to outdoor conditions over 7–14 days before planting out, so cold, wind and direct sun don't shock or damage them. Full definition →; sowing under cover in August or September gives a winter one instead. Sow 1cm deep, and a small batch every few weeks if you want a continuous supply rather than one glut. Thin to 15cm apart, in rows 15cm apart, and use the thinnings in salads.

Growing in containers

Rocket does well in a container, provided the compost stays evenly moist. Use a pot at least 30cm wide, filled with peat-freeCompost made without peat, which is harvested from a slow-forming, carbon-storing wetland habitat that peat extraction damages. Full definition → multi-purpose compost. In hot weather, move pots into light shade to delay boltingA plant switching early into flowering and seed production, usually triggered by stress, after which leaves, roots or bulbs turn bitter or unusable. Full page → and keep the compost from drying out too fast.

Varieties

No rocket variety named by the RHS or Gardener's World holds an AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition →, so the picks here rest on leaf and flavour traits. Gardener's World names Dragon's Tongue for good bolt resistance. Victoria (dark green, rounded, strongly peppery), Runway (peppery, deeply serrated) and Wasabi (hot, spicy, vigorous) are other options, also without AGM.

Also worth considering

Best Rocket Varieties for Scotland → compares all named rocket varieties head-to-head, with the practical detail that doesn't fit in a summary card.

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist: hot, dry weather brings on flowering, and watering too heavily can dilute the peppery flavour rocket is grown for (Gardener's World), so aim for even rather than generous. Weed regularly to reduce competition for water. On salad rocket, pinching outRemoving the soft growing tip of a stem to stop upward growth and make the plant branch out sideways instead. Full definition → the developing flower stems prolongs cropping slightly, though it's only a temporary fix before the plant finishes for good. Wild rocket needs no flower-stem pinching: trim it back if it gets too large and sprawling, which encourages new leaves.

Harvesting

Start picking 4-6 weeks after sowing, taking a few leaves from each plant rather than stripping one plant bare before moving to the next: heavy picking from a single plant slows its recovery. Salad rocket gives leaves for a month or two, depending on temperature and time of year, and the whole plant should come out once it flowers. Wild rocket keeps producing after it flowers, and under cloches, in a coldframe or in a greenhouse it may keep cropping into winter and start again in early spring.

Storing

Rocket is best eaten fresh, but leftover leaves keep for a few days refrigerated in a sealed container. For longer storage, blanch the leaves briefly in boiling water and cool them in cold water before freezing.

Common problems

• Slugs and snails damage seedlings and young plants.
• Flea beetles leave small holes in the leaves, but the damage is only cosmetic. Fleece or fine mesh over the crop deters them.
• Self-seeding isn't a pest, but it's worth knowing about: rocket seeds itself readily if left to flower and set seed, so volunteer plants can turn up in beds you didn't sow. Harmless if you don't mind them, easy to remove if you do.

Common questions

Sources