Rocket
A fast, peppery salad green that bolts and turns bitter in hot weather, so it's best grown in cooler months.
- Sun
- partial sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 15cm
- Harvest
- Ready in 20-35 days
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Expected yield
- Cut-and-come-again leaves for several weeks
- Cost to grow
- ~$4 NZD
- Grocery value
- ~$20 NZD
- Companion plants
- Lettuce, Beetroot
- Common diseases
- Downy mildew
- Common pests
- Flea beetle, Aphids
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: March-May and September-November. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: March-April and September-October. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast and Christchurch / Canterbury: March and September-October. In Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September.
Growing stages
Germination & sowing
- Very fast to germinate, often within a week in cool conditions
- Best sown in the cooler months to avoid early bolting
- Keep soil consistently moist for even germination
Seedling & establishment
- Flea beetle can riddle young leaves with small holes, especially in warm dry weather
- Partial sun suits it well, too much heat encourages bolting
- Aphids can target soft new growth
Leaf growth
- Downy mildew can appear on leaves in damp, humid conditions
- Bolts and turns bitter quickly in hot weather, so keep it cool and well-watered
- Flea beetle damage tends to worsen as the weather warms
Harvest20-35 days from sowing
- Ready fast, from about 20-35 days; cut-and-come-again for several weeks
- Pick leaves young for the best peppery flavour before they toughen
- Stop harvesting once plants bolt to flower, as leaves turn bitter after this