Arugula 'Rocket'
Arugula 'Rocket' is a heirloom brassica. Germination takes 3-7 days and fruit ripens from about day 20-40. Skin runs to dark green with deeply lobed leaves. Water need is 0.5-1 inch per week, consistent moisture for tender leaves. Suits zones 2-11. It will crop in a container.
Sowing
Direct sow every 2-3 weeks from early spring through fall. Scatter seeds and lightly cover. Can grow year-round in mild climates.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours)
- Water
- 0.5-1 inch per week, consistent moisture for tender leaves
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile soil with good organic content
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 4-6 inches
- Height
- 0-3 feet
- Season
- Cool season
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Dark green with deeply lobed leaves
- Size
- 2-4 inch leaves when harvested young
- Shape
- Deeply lobed, oak-leaf shaped
- Flavour
- Peppery, nutty, and pungent with mustard-like bite
In the kitchen
Fresh salads, pizza topping, pesto, sandwiches, pasta dishes, garnish
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Flea beetles, aphids, slugs, cabbage worms
- Diseases
- Downy mildew in humid conditions, rarely affected by diseases
- Resistance
- Generally disease-free due to quick growth cycle
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April – May | June – July | June – July | July – September |
| 2 | April – May | June – July | May – July | June – September |
| 3 | March – April | May – June | May – June | June – October |
| 4 | March – April | May – June | April – June | May – October |
| 5 | February – March | April – May | April – May | May – November |
| 6 | February – March | April – May | April – May | May – November |
| 7 | February – March | April – May | March – May | April – November |
| 8 | January – February | March – April | March – April | April – December |
| 9 | January | February – March | February – March | March – December |
| 10 | January | February – March | January – March | February – December |
| 11 | January | January – February | January – February | January – December |
| 12 | January | January – February | January – February | January – December |
| 13 | January | January – February | January – February | January – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 31
- Protein (g)
- 2.57
- Fat (g)
- 0.34
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 6.27
- Fibre (g)
- 2.4
- Vitamin A (µg)
- 8
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 91.3
- Vitamin E (mg)
- 0.15
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 102
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.191
- Folate (µg)
- 65
- Calcium (mg)
- 46
- Iron (mg)
- 0.69
- Magnesium (mg)
- 21
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 67
- Potassium (mg)
- 303
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.42
- Selenium (µg)
- 1.6
Where to buy seed and equipment
Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Arugula 'Rocket'?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other brassicas with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Arugula 'Rocket' suits these too.
- Tokyo Bekana 21 days
- Mizuna 21 days
- Osaka Purple Mustard 21 days
- Charbell 28 days
- Ruby Red or Rhubarb Chard 32 days
- Purple Top Turnip 37 days