Rocket Salad

‘Rocket Salad’ or ‘Cultivated’ Rocket is a classic salad rocket, also known as arugula. It  has beautiful oakleaf type leaves, typically found in salad mixes, the rounded leaves gives a salad an attractive, three-dimensional texture. Used fresh, salad rocket adds a peppery note to salads, this aromatic salad green is ideal as a bed for seafood but also makes a wonderful salad on its own. Cooked lightly it can be added to stir-fries, it also makes a delicious spinach substitute. After the plants flower, the leaves can still be used but taste is sharper. The flowers are also edible.

HOW TO PLANT

Plant the seeds in your soil, cover them lightly with soil and water them down. The seeds will germinate within around 7 days. After the seedlings are around an inch tall, thin them out so there is 10 cm of space between each plant. If your soil if low in nutrients, add a nitrogen rich fertliser.

HOW TO HARVEST

Rocket generally takes around 50 days to become fully mature to harvest. Pinch off the outer leaves to harvest. Just picking the outer leaves will allow the plant to stay intact and keep producing leaves to harvest. The more you harvest, the more the plant will yield. The flavour will get stronger as you harvest the leaves. You can harvest the leaves until the flavour gets too strong for your taste. If left to go to seed it will easily reproduce year after year.

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