When to plant Rocket / Arugula in Temperate Australia

Temperate zone — applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Cool · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Rocket has two direct-sowing windows in temperate Australia: late summer into autumn (February to March) and again from August to November. Sow 4 mm deep, allow 30–40 cm each way, and it repays you almost immediately — germination in 6–12 days and pickable leaves from around 30 days, with plants productive to about 60. The one season to avoid is high summer, when heat sends rocket straight to seed and turns the leaves harsh. Sow a short row every three or four weeks within each window and you will rarely be without it.

Sowing calendar — temperate zone

Green months are your sowing window: February to March and August to November.

Growing notes

Cold is rocket's friend. The plant is fully hardy, so February and March sowings crop right through a temperate winter, untroubled by the frosts that arrive from May — and cool-grown leaves are noticeably milder and more tender than anything picked in warm weather. Spring sowings from August grow even faster but live on borrowed time: as days heat up towards December, plants bolt within weeks of reaching size, so treat late-window sowings as short-lived and pick hard.

Grow rocket in moist, reasonably fertile soil, in full sun through the cool months and with afternoon shade for the warmest sowings. Water is the flavour control: evenly moist soil gives pleasantly peppery leaves, while drought stress concentrates the mustard oils until leaves turn bitter and hot, then triggers bolting on top.

Bolting is the failure everyone hits eventually. You cannot prevent it forever — rocket is a fast annual — but you can delay it by sowing in the right window, watering consistently, and harvesting outer leaves frequently so plants keep producing rather than maturing. Once flower stems appear, pull the plants and resow; the window is generous enough for several rounds. Watch, too, for flea beetle pinholes in warm weather; young seedlings under fine netting escape the worst of it.

Rocket / Arugula at a glance

Common questions

Can I grow rocket in winter in Australia?

Yes. In temperate zones, sow in February or March and the plants crop happily through winter — rocket is fully hardy and the cold actually keeps the leaves mild.

Why is my rocket bolting so quickly?

Heat and dry soil are the triggers. Avoid summer sowings, keep water consistent, and pick frequently; once flower stems appear, pull the plant and resow.

How long does rocket take to grow?

Fast — germination in 6–12 days and baby leaves from about 30 days, with plants productive for up to 60 days before they run to seed.

Why does my rocket taste so hot and bitter?

Heat stress and underwatering concentrate the mustard oils in the leaves. Leaves grown quickly in cool weather with steady moisture are far milder.

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