Nothing beats freshly picked rocket in a salad or on a sandwich !I love rocket but we can’t get it here easily, so I have tried to grow my own – with little success – until just recently, that is.
I started out planting the seed directly into vegetable beds – but just as soon as the leaves popped up, they would get devoured by birds. I then asked the gardeners to fashion a makeshift tunnel out of old shade cloth to cover the bed of rocket and protect it from the birds, but the rocket was then devoured by insects.
I don’t use insecticides/sprays in the garden & thought that it would kind of defeat the object of eating fresh, tasty rocket leaves if they had been doused in some poisonous chemical first !
I then decided to plant the rocket in a container in a sheltered part of the garden – and it was eaten by insects again ! Justin then suggested that we re plant the container but that this time we hide it deep within one of the flower beds, with lots of foliage covering it. So we did, it was missed by both the birds and insects - and the photo above is the result !
I’ve now moved the container onto our veranda where I can keep a beady eye on it, and I’m happy to say that we’ve been eating & enjoying fresh rocket almost every day since.
Rocket has a spicy, peppery taste and is best eaten when young, so I like to pick the smaller/younger leaves – the bigger/older leaves tend to be hotter (though still very tasty) The more you pick it, the more it will grow – so it’s a win-win situation. Rocket is fast growing (& I’ve only ever grown it from seed before) & I think is ideal as a small crop, planted 3 to 4 weeks apart so that you always have a steady supply of it.
I’ve had the most success with mine when planted in full sun, and when the soil is kept moist. It germinates within 7 to 14 days and you can harvest it within 90 to 120 days but I must say, mine has always been ready to harvest within 60 days (but it may also be due to the variety you use, climate etc). The suggested planting depth is 4 mm.
Rocket is rich in iron and vitamins and apparently also has natural diuretic properties, as well as being used to soothe stomach upsets.
I think that rocket is best eaten raw, although you can steam it lightly and eat it as you would spinach (it’s not as peppery once steamed). It can also be sautéed quickly in olive oil and then tossed with pasta or risotto’s (I add roughly chopped raw rocket leaves to pasta and it tastes delicious !) We most often use it in salads and on sandwiches. It tastes great on a cheese & tomato sandwich, with cream cheese and with cucumber, too.
I’d love to hear from anyone who grows their own rocket, or who enjoys eating it as much as I do. What do you do with your rocket, and have you got any interesting recipes to share ?
I started out planting the seed directly into vegetable beds – but just as soon as the leaves popped up, they would get devoured by birds. I then asked the gardeners to fashion a makeshift tunnel out of old shade cloth to cover the bed of rocket and protect it from the birds, but the rocket was then devoured by insects.
I don’t use insecticides/sprays in the garden & thought that it would kind of defeat the object of eating fresh, tasty rocket leaves if they had been doused in some poisonous chemical first !
I then decided to plant the rocket in a container in a sheltered part of the garden – and it was eaten by insects again ! Justin then suggested that we re plant the container but that this time we hide it deep within one of the flower beds, with lots of foliage covering it. So we did, it was missed by both the birds and insects - and the photo above is the result !
I’ve now moved the container onto our veranda where I can keep a beady eye on it, and I’m happy to say that we’ve been eating & enjoying fresh rocket almost every day since.
Rocket has a spicy, peppery taste and is best eaten when young, so I like to pick the smaller/younger leaves – the bigger/older leaves tend to be hotter (though still very tasty) The more you pick it, the more it will grow – so it’s a win-win situation. Rocket is fast growing (& I’ve only ever grown it from seed before) & I think is ideal as a small crop, planted 3 to 4 weeks apart so that you always have a steady supply of it.
I’ve had the most success with mine when planted in full sun, and when the soil is kept moist. It germinates within 7 to 14 days and you can harvest it within 90 to 120 days but I must say, mine has always been ready to harvest within 60 days (but it may also be due to the variety you use, climate etc). The suggested planting depth is 4 mm.
Rocket is rich in iron and vitamins and apparently also has natural diuretic properties, as well as being used to soothe stomach upsets.
I think that rocket is best eaten raw, although you can steam it lightly and eat it as you would spinach (it’s not as peppery once steamed). It can also be sautéed quickly in olive oil and then tossed with pasta or risotto’s (I add roughly chopped raw rocket leaves to pasta and it tastes delicious !) We most often use it in salads and on sandwiches. It tastes great on a cheese & tomato sandwich, with cream cheese and with cucumber, too.
I’d love to hear from anyone who grows their own rocket, or who enjoys eating it as much as I do. What do you do with your rocket, and have you got any interesting recipes to share ?
