Sowing rocket in September

An empty pot or a short stretch of vegetable bed can still earn its keep this September. Rocket is a useful crop to try when you want something to pick in small amounts, close to the kitchen.

You do not need to fill a whole bed. Start with a manageable sowing and make harvesting part of your routine, taking a few leaves when you need them.

Why sow rocket now?

Salad rocket flowers readily in hot weather. Cooler conditions can extend its useful cropping life. Early September is within the RHS outdoor sowing window; later sowings benefit from a cloche, fleece or greenhouse. August and September sowings under cover can provide leaves into winter, although that is a possibility rather than a guaranteed continuous harvest.

For colder or exposed gardens, our recommendation is to sow promptly and plan protection from the start. Shortening days leave less opportunity for plants to establish.

Choose the right rocket

Salad rocket is the faster, shorter lived option. Wild rocket grows more slowly, has a stronger flavour and can live for several years. For this small autumn sowing project, choose salad rocket if speed is your priority.

How to sow it

Choose fertile, moist but well drained ground. Clear weeds and prepare a fine surface.

1. Make a shallow groove about 1cm deep and water its base.
2. Sprinkle seeds thinly along it, then cover lightly and gently firm the soil.
3. Keep the seedbed moist while seedlings establish.

Direct sowing avoids disturbing the roots. If starting in modules, transplant while plants are young and keep their rootballs intact. Thin crowded seedlings; for plants grown on to a larger size, allow approximately 15cm between plants and rows.

Growing rocket in a pot

Use a container with drainage holes and peat free multipurpose compost. Scatter seed sparingly, add a light covering of compost and water gently with a fine rose. Keep the compost evenly moist.

A pot beside the door makes this an easy crop to remember: check it when you go outside, rather than waiting until the leaves wilt.

Picking your leaves

In good conditions, initial pickings can be ready around four to six weeks after sowing. Cold weather can lengthen that wait. Pick a few usable leaves from several plants rather than stripping one bare.

Small holes may be flea beetle damage; this does not automatically make the leaves unusable. Fine insect mesh can help exclude the beetles. Wash leaves before eating.

Start small this September

Try one pot or a short row first. Label it with the variety and sowing date, then record when you make your first picking. That gives you a useful reference for repeating the crop in your own conditions next autumn.

Further reading

• RHS: growing rocket
• BBC Gardeners’ World: growing rocket from seed
• Garden Organic: September gardening advice