Rocket - indoors ?

[coachman]

Is trying to grow salad rocket indoors, to give it a head start, just a waste of time - not to say impossible - or can anyone give advice on how it can be done.

I tried to grow on a windowsill, in cells filled with multi-purpose, however they died off one by one.

I'm also trying small turnip indoors !

Am I wasting my time ?

[Charlie Farley]

I have rocket on my window sill at the moment to give it a head start- getting a bit too big for its boots and im counting down the days to warmer weather so it can go out!
Did the same last year with few problems.
Not tried turnips im afraid!

[Alice]

Hello Coachman, I'm puzzled as to why you're having a problem. Rocket is just about unstopable. I grow it on the windowsill sarting from January. Fill a seed tray with damp compost, sprinkle the seeds, lightly cover with compost and it comes up in a few days. Just cut with scissors as you want to use it. As the year goes on it becomes more rampant and can be grown outdoors but for baby leaves the windowsill is fine. Do try again and see how you get on. I love it.

[Paulottie]

Same as you there Alice, It grows well in seed trays. Although I often grow in old wooden wine boxes and polystyrene fish boxes... and often with a few other saladings in the mix for baby leaves. I don't think it needs modules or planting on, infact it quickly runs to seed and is quite strong as it gets older. To my taste best to sow a little every couple of weeks and just use it young.

[Cutecumber]

It sounds like the seedlings are dying off because of their growing conditions - sometimes fungus can be present which is fatal to very young plants.

Try sowing into some different compost, put them somewhere else and keep them ventilated. Light and cool is best. Tempting though it is, warm conditions will make the rocket go to seed very quickly.