Garden Plant Guides

Tower Garden Grow Guide: How to Grow Rocket

Fresh organic arugula leaves in a wooden bowl on a dark green slate,stone or concrete background.
Fast to grow, rich in nutrients, packed with flavour. How can you go wrong?
GROWING INFORMATION
Rocket
DIFFICULTY
1 out of 5 leaves
TIME TO HARVEST
4 weeks
INDOOR VS OUTDOOR
Both
BEST TOWER POSITION
Top

Why We Love Rocket

In the world of leafy greens, you’ll be hard pressed to find some more popular than rocket. Part of the brassica family of vegetables with broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, rocket is high in fibre and antioxidants. It is also rich in glucosinolates, which studies show may reduce the risk of developing lung, prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer. In fact, rocket has more calcium and zinc than kale, a known superfood. Rightfully so, rocket is good for the body and deserves a place on your Tower Garden. 

Download the Arugula Grow Guide PDF.

Varieties

  • Apollo - Smooth, oval leaves and a milder flavour. It can withstand fairly well in the heat.  
  • Astro  - Mild flavour, known to mature quicker than most other varieties.
  • Olive Leaf -  Wld, Italian type with an intense, but not overpowering, flavour. 
  • Sylvetta - Narrow, spicy leaves and is slow to bolt.

Planting Your Seedlings

What You’ll Need

  • Tower Garden Growing System
  • Seedling Starter Kit (If starting with seeds)
  • Rocket seeds/seedlings (included in Seedling Starter Kit)
  • Net pots 
  • LED Indoor Grow Lights (for indoor growing)
  • Access to power source

More information on starting your seeds is here.

  1. Germinate your seeds. This step will take roughly 1-2 weeks. Rocket seeds should be ready for transplant 10–14 days after sprouting, or whenever they have at least 2–3 leaves and a visible root structure.
  2. Place one seedling cube into each net pot on your Tower Garden Growing System. We recommend planting Rocket near the top of your Tower Garden, where it can comfortably grow upward and outward — which it will do rapidly.
  3. Gently press the seedling cube until it touches the base of the net pot.

Growing Conditions

Temperature: 8-27° C

Light exposure and watering cycle can be controlled by our digital timer, but for manual reference:

Light

For outdoor – minimum 6-8 hours of full sunlight daily

For indoor – set grow light timer for 14-16 hours on, 8-10 hours off

Watering Cycle

Please set the Tower timer to “O” for outdoor growing or “I” for indoor growing.

Maintenance & Pest Prevention

  • Check water and pH levels at least weekly.
  • Keep roots away from pump.
  • If not in full sun when outdoors, rotate garden regularly for even growing.
  • Clean pump monthly.
  • Check regularly for pests.
  • Remove dead plant debris.
  • Destroy diseased plant material.

More information on Tower Garden maintenance is here, as well as extra help for pests and troubleshooting.

Harvesting

  • Harvest only a few leaves at a time, from the bottom of the plant upward.
  • Allow 2–3 leaves to remain so the plant may keep growing.
  • Repeat every 2–3 days until the plant bolts, or begins flowering. Flavour will intensify after each harvest. 
  • After bolting, replace the plant with a fresh seedling. Learn more about bolting.

Ways to Enjoy

  • Salads – Enjoy on its own or mixed in with other greens picked from your Tower Garden, rocket makes a delicious and nutritious salad. Take your rocket salad to the next level by pairing it with a sweeter balsamic, which balances well with its peppery notes.
  • Pizza Toppings – Enhance any homemade or store bought pizza by dressing up your rocket in a simple lemon vinaigrette before piling it high on top of your other favourite ingredients. 
  • Sandwiches -  rocket is a classic green for hot pressed sandwiches like paninis, but also serves as a fun, more flavourful alternative to lettuce on cold subs too. 

Looking for more recipes and kitchen inspiration? Check out Let’s Cook.