How to grow rocket

Frost-hardy · Cabbage family

When to sow and plant

Sow outdoors 1 March – 31 August

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

Sow outdoors: March to August (fixed months from a German source, not tied to frost) (DLR Gartenakademie RLP: Aussaat- bzw. Pflanzzeiten von Gemüse)

Good and bad neighbours

We don’t know any sourced neighbours for this plant yet.

Crop rotation

After the cabbage family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years).

The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2031.
If clubroot has appeared in the bed: no plants of the cabbage family for at least 7 years, not even mustard as green manure.

At a glance

Family: Cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
Nutrient needs: Light feeder
Frost: Hardy, tolerates frost
Spacing (row × plant): 20 × – cm (8 × – in)
Life cycle: Annual
Harvest: After 28–42 days from sowing

Spacing according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Merkblatt 2111 Fruchtfolge für Gemüsebeete (Oktober 2016). Other sources: 15 × 15 cm (6 × 6 in) (RHS: How to grow rocket).

Questions and answers

When can I sow rocket?

Sow outdoors, average for Germany: 1 March – 31 August. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant rocket?

20 × – cm (8 × – in) (row × plant), according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Merkblatt 2111 Fruchtfolge für Gemüsebeete (Oktober 2016).

How long a break do rocket need in the same bed?

After the cabbage family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

Sources

Show 7 sources

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.