PlantSowGrow
How to grow Rocket (Salad)
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa
Also called arugula, salad rocket, garden rocket, Eruca sativa, Eruca
Peppery leaves ready in a few weeks, from spring to autumn. Easy in pots and window boxes.
At a glance: Sow mid March to early September, harvest from mid April.
When to sow, plant and harvest
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
More to sow and plant in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.
Growing Rocket (Salad): what it needs
- Light
- Part shade · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water regularly in dry weather
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 15 cm
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- A general feed before sowing or planting
- Harvest
- About 30 days from sowing
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 3–9
- Difficulty
- Easy
Step by step
- Mid March – early September · 4 weeks before the last spring frost
Sow Seeds Outdoors
Sow thinly in drills where they are to grow.
- 5–10 days after “Sow Seeds Outdoors” · Late March
Check Germination
Seedlings should appear in 5–10 days. If sown outdoors, thin to 15 cm apart when big enough to handle.
- 20–41 days after “Check Germination” · Mid April – early May
Start Harvesting
Pick leaves when 8–10 cm long; they regrow.
- 14–28 days after “Start Harvesting” · Late April – early May
Sow Another Batch (optional)
Sow a pinch every 2–3 weeks; it runs to seed quickly in hot weather.
- 40–70 days after “Sow Another Batch” · Early June – early July
Finish and Clear
Clear the remains to the compost heap once cropping ends.
More vegetables to grow
Photo: Schlaghecken Josef / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
