Rocket

How to sow

Sow 5 mm. Use peat-free coco. Keep the surface just moist.

Germination 3–7 days in the crop record.

Growing

1. Sowing — Day 0. Sow seeds on moist compost. Cover with 5mm. Keep moist.
2. Germination — Days 3–7. Seedlings appear within a week. Keep moist. No thinning needed.
3. Baby leaf — Weeks 2–3. Begin baby leaf harvest at 5–8cm. Cut at 2cm above soil.
4. First harvest — Week 3. Cut outer leaves. Inner leaves continue growing.
5. Peak production — Weeks 3–8. Harvest every 5–7 days. Water consistently.
6. Bolt — Weeks 8–10. Bolt leaves are still edible but intense. Reseed. Flowers are edible too.

Keep at or above 5°C where the crop record sets a floor.

Harvest

First cut around 3 weeks.

Cut outer leaves. Inner leaves continue growing.

Common mistakes

• Letting it get too hot — Rocket bolts rapidly above 20°C — especially in direct summer sun. Grow in a cooler spot. Avoid south-facing windowsills in summer. Succession sow.
• Waiting too long to harvest — Older leaves become tough and excessively peppery. Harvest at baby leaf stage (5–8cm) for the mildest, most tender leaves. Don't wait for maturity.
• Single harvest — Cutting the whole plant at once kills it. Cut-and-come-again — outer leaves at 2cm, leaving the centre growing.
• Not succession sowing — Rocket has a short productive window before bolting. Sow a new pot every 3 weeks to maintain continuous supply.

In the kitchen

• Salad base — Use as a standalone peppery salad or mix with milder leaves. Dress simply with lemon and oil.
• Pizza topping — Add raw rocket to hot pizza after baking. Wilts slightly on contact — do not bake in.
• Pesto variant — Replace basil with rocket for a peppery pesto. Blend with parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, oil.
• Steak companion — Pile dressed rocket on a board next to grilled steak. The peppery bite cuts through the fat.
• Pasta finish — Fold wilted rocket into hot pasta with lemon zest and parmesan. Residual heat is enough.

Questions

Sources

1. Rocket Seed Pack
2. Coco Soil treatise
3. HubWīk contents
4. Grower knowledge + RHS Growing Guides