- Botanical name: Eruca vesicaria
- Common name: Rocket
- Family: Brassicaceae
- Plant Type: Annual
Rocket, Eruca vesicaria, is a pungent annual leaf crop popular in salads, grown for its attractive, peppery leaves, edible flowers and spicy seedpods. It’s perfect for growing successionally in pots in summer, and you can extend the season by growing under cloches in autumn.
Sow seed every two weeks from March to September. Harvest leaves when young when their flavour is at its best. Remove flower stalks to prolong leaf production, unless you want to eat the flowers and seedpods too.
How to grow Eruca vesicaria
-
Plant size
40cm height
20cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
- Sun exposure: Full sun, dappled shade, partial shade
- Soil type: Well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do Sow in May |
J
Do Sow in June |
J
Do Sow in July |
A
Do Sow in August |
S
Do Sow in September |
O
Do not Sow in October |
N
Do not Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Harvest | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
J
Do not Harvest in January |
F
Do not Harvest in February |
M
Do not Harvest in March |
A
Do not Harvest in April |
M
Do not Harvest in May |
J
Do Harvest in June |
J
Do Harvest in July |
A
Do Harvest in August |
S
Do Harvest in September |
O
Do Harvest in October |
N
Do not Harvest in November |
D
Do not Harvest in December |
Eruca vesicaria and wildlife
Eruca vesicaria has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Eruca vesicaria poisonous?
Eruca vesicaria has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Eruca vesicaria
