Rocket

Sowing.

There’s a reason for its name — it’s one of the fastest crops to grow in your garden, which makes Rocket the perfect home-grown salad crop. It is best sown between March and September but even later sowings can produce a good crop of spicy, peppery leaves for salads. Sow seeds every two weeks throughout spring and summer for a continuous supply in rich, fertile, well-drained soil. Find a spot in full sun or partial shade, and sow seeds 1/4-inch-deep in rows 10 inches apart, leaving about an inch between each. 

Harvest. 

Rocket is best eaten when young; otherwise, it can become quite bitter, so make sure you harvest regularly while the seedlings are young. You can either cut parts of the plant or pull the whole plant for your salad bowl. The flowering stem should be removed as soon as it appears, as the leaves will quickly become hot and strong.

Get creative in the kitchen.

Rocket has spicy, peppery leaves, ideal for salads. It’s a powerful vitamin C source; it contains iron and even acts as a tonic to ease stomach complaints.