Arugula: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow rocket outdoors successfully?
Sow rocket from spring to late summer according to your climate and seed packet, using protection to extend the season if needed. It likes sun in cool weather and light shade in summer to delay bolting. Choose well-drained soil that holds some moisture.
Weed and prepare a fine surface. Sow thinly in shallow drills up to about 1 cm deep, with about 15 cm between rows. Cover lightly and water gently. Keep the soil moist without standing water, then thin gradually to about 15 cm between plants according to the type grown.
For annual salad rocket, sow small batches every few weeks to replace plants that bolt. Wild rocket usually crops for longer. Watch for slugs and flea beetles on young leaves and identify damage before acting, without treating fermented plant extracts as a universal remedy.
How to care for this plant
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Thin seedlings
For full-sized rocket leaves, thin crowded seedlings to about 15 cm apart once they are easy to handle. Keep closer spacing if you harvest the crop promptly as baby leaves.
How do you harvest rocket?
