The fast-growing rocket can be harvested just 4-6 weeks after sowing. The fresh leaves taste mildly nutty or spicy and hot and enrich our menu from April to October. The harvest will be plentiful if you follow a few tips.
When and how to harvest rocket?
The rocket can be harvested 4-6 weeks after sowing by cutting off young, tender leaves without over-pruning the plant. For continuous growth throughout the year, reseed the rocket several times and make sure to harvest it before flowering to avoid bitterness.
He althy and tasty rocket
Rocket - better known by its Italian name arugula - has a high content of mustard essential oils, which are responsible for the spicy aroma and piquant taste. It also contains iodine, beta-carotene and folic acid. Rocket is mainly used to prepare salads. In Mediterranean cuisine, they are often found as a fresh topping on pizza and pasta dishes. It is also suitable for making pesto.
When and how is rocket harvested
If the weather conditions are favorable, the young plants develop quickly, so that, depending on the variety, they can be harvested for the first time about a month after sowing. Do not cut too radically so that the plant sprouts again. Over time, lush rosettes develop and the rocket can be encouraged to produce new shoots again and again through clever pruning.
If you sow them again and again over the course of the summer, you will have fresh leaves available until autumn. The last sowing can take place in September if the weather is right, so that the harvest can be done at the end of October.
For the best taste experience, young, tender leaves are harvested and served as a salad on the plate. The older the leaves are, the stronger and hotter they taste and are more suitable for seasoning like herbs. It is important to make sure that the rocket is harvested before it blooms, otherwise the leaves taste very sharp to bitter.
Tips & Tricks
Rocket plants should not be fertilized. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers in particular should be avoided, as this can cause the nitrate content to rise.