ROCKET - ESMEE

Organic Rocket Esmee

        200 Seeds Pack    

Esmee is a visually appealing and versatile variety of rocket with deeply lobed, oak-leaf-shaped foliage. Ideal for summer sowings, Esmee is slow to bolt and thrives under stress conditions, making it an excellent choice for consistent harvests. Its succulent, tender leaves have a rich, distinctive flavour and grow quickly, making it a favourite among gardeners and chefs alike. Esmee’s attractive oak-leaf style is often featured in mesclun mixes, adding a unique, three-dimensional texture to salads with its rounded, lush leaves. For harvesting, it offers flexibility: cut the entire plant just above soil level for bunching, or trim individual leaves for a cut-and-come-again approach when cultivating baby leaves. Its combination of beauty, resilience, and flavour makes Esmee rocket a standout addition to any garden or culinary dish.

    PLANTING & GROWING

Soaking needs to be done at least a few hours before planting, and preferably overnight. To prevent damping off when starting seeds indoors, it’s essential that you disinfect all of your pots, plastic grow trays, seed cells, and seedling tray covers before you reuse them. 

Rocket (arugula) can be grown in plant containers, making it a great option for balcony gardens or indoor spaces near a sunny window. If you don’t have a suitable garden spot, a container at least 8 inches wide with drainage holes works well. Since rocket has sensitive roots, repotting is best avoided, so it’s important to select an appropriate growing container from the start.

Rocket thrives in rich, humus-rich soil with a pH of 6 to 6.8 but is adaptable to a wide range of conditions. Keeping the soil evenly moist can help slow bolting, which is common during warmer months.

Sow rocket seeds in spring for summer greens or in autumn for winter greens. Sow the seeds 6mm (¼ inch) deep in rows spaced 45–60cm (18-24 inches) apart, placing seeds about 3cm (1¼ inches) apart within the rows. Cover the seeds lightly with soil. As rocket naturally flowers in summer, regular harvesting and keeping the soil moist can help delay flowering. For autumn sowing, covering crops with horticultural fleece can extend the growing season, allowing harvesting up until the first frosts.

Rocket often self-seeds and requires insects for pollination, as it is self-sterile. However, it will not cross-pollinate with other members of the mustard family.

Companion planting rocket with beans is highly beneficial, as beans fix nitrogen in the air and enrich the soil with it, boosting the growth of the rocket. However, avoid planting rocket alongside onions or other alliums, as they are not compatible companion plants.