Kitchen Garden Forum

My wild rocket is wonderful in the way that year after year it comes up and is delicious - that is until this year!! It has come up again and growing profusely but it is very tough/coarse. Instead of lovely young tender shoots its like chewing raw cabbage leaves! anyone any ideas??? I can hardly stop it coming up each year and I have moved it several times but this year.......not so good!

Jules

I suspect it is getting old - as a perennial it will get bigger andtougher. I try to avoid this by sowing afresh every year. Whatever it says on the packet it is very easy to germinate.

Hi Jules,
Alan's answer is the best advice but if you were to cut the plants back very very severely I am sure that the regeneration may well be tender.
I suggest this only whilst you are waiting for your fresh batch to germinate and grow to edible size.
JB.

Hello, I was just going to suggest the same as Johnboy - prune it right off and all the new shoots will be nice and tender again. There are usually self sown seedlings nearby too if you have a look round an old plant.

Hi Plumpudding,
I do this to Perpetual Spinach which has a tendency, after a few pickings, to become tougher than I would like. The plants even expand when you cut them right back and last year they ended up 12" to 15" wide plants of superb tender leaves which take but a few days to grow. Harvesting is done with a large pair of scissors. If you then steam them they are done just how I like them in about a minute. They are also good eaten raw in a mixed salad. If with something like Spaghetti Bolognese
just before serving I mix the leaves in raw and by the time you get to eating it they have cooked themselves perfectly.
JB.

Thanks everyone - I think I'll do as you say and plant new but I will also cut it RIGHT back and see what happens although I did this to move it this year and its the new growth that is tough! I just wondered if anyone had tried cooking wild rocket?? Maybe adding it to a stir fry at the end??
Thanks again! Jules

Is wild rocket susceptible to high temperatures? I sowed some a while back and even though it was kept moist and is in a position which is only in the sun for the half the day, it has bolted and turned to wiry stalks before I had any decent leaves at all. The stuff I sowed in very late autumn and over-wintered under cloches produced large tender leaves.

I usually sow wild rocket in late April and crop it quickly as it runs to seed quickly when it is hot - and again in early September to overwinter - this is always better and doesnt go to seed till the following May.