When to Plant Rocket in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Also called arugula, rucola, roquette.
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Rocket guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Apr to Aug
- Days to harvest
- 25 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 15 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
Rocket is a fast-growing, peppery salad green available in two types: annual salad rocket (milder, bolt-prone) and wild/perennial rocket (stronger flavour, slower to bolt).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul D (likely to bolt)
- Aug D (likely to bolt)
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Amber = likely to bolt if sown this month, it matures into heat or long days.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Rocket in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained soil with moderate organic matter. Not fussy about soil quality. Performs well in average garden soil.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun in cool weather. Part shade essential in warm weather to slow bolting and reduce bitterness.
- Spacing
- 15cm apart, 25cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular watering to keep soil moist. Drought stress makes leaves intensely bitter and triggers bolting. Morning watering. Light, frequent irrigation best.
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, Dill, Strawberry
- Keep away from
- No strong antagonists known
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Tropical Growing Tips for Rocket
Recommended Varieties
- Wild/perennial rocket (Diplotaxis, more heat tolerant)
- Annual rocket for dry season only
Key Challenges
- Bolts immediately in warm conditions
- Extreme bitterness in heat
- Very short productive life
Pro Tips
- Wild rocket is the only practical option for the tropics
- Grow only in dry season with afternoon shade
- Harvest very young (baby leaf) for mildest flavour
Pests and problems for Rocket in Tropical
- Diamondback Moth Watch
- Cabbage White Butterfly Watch
- Downy Mildew Avoid overhead watering. Space for airflow. Quick crop means replanting is often easier than treating. Watch
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Watch
- Aphids Watch
- White Rust Crop rotation. Good spacing. Don't grow rocket in same spot repeatedly. Watch
Harvesting Rocket
When ready: Baby leaf: 8-10cm (3-4 weeks). Full size: 15-20cm (5-6 weeks). Leaves should be bright green and firm. Harvest before flower stalk appears for best flavour.
How to harvest: Cut-and-come-again: cut leaves 3cm above ground. Or pick individual outer leaves. Annual rocket gives 2-3 cuts before bolting. Wild rocket gives many more cuts.
Storing and preserving rocket
How to keep it
- Rocket Pesto. Blend fresh rocket with garlic, parmesan (or nutritional yeast), pine nuts or walnuts, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Pack into small jars or ice cube trays. Freeze immediately. Keeps: 6 months frozen; 5 days refrigerated.
- Fresh Storage. Wrap in damp paper towel in sealed container in fridge. Best eaten fresh as rocket wilts quickly. Keeps: 3-5 days.
What rocket costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Rocket
When do you plant rocket in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Aug Likely to bolt if sown in July and August.
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in August and September.
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to Nov Likely to bolt if sown in October and November.
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Feb to May, Aug to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in October, November and December.
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to May, Aug to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in November and December.
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in July, August and September.
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to Nov Likely to bolt if sown in October and November.
Can you grow rocket all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Apr to Aug. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather. Likely to bolt if sown in July and August.
What else is rocket called?
Rocket is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it arugula, rucola, roquette. Same plant, same growing advice.
When should I plant Rocket in Cairns?
Sow direct in small batches through the dry season and pick young. Annual rocket bolts quickly in warmth; wild rocket lasts longer.
What soil temperature do Rocket need?
Rocket germinate best when soil temperature is between 5°C and 25°C.
How do I know when Rocket are ready to harvest?
Baby leaf: 8-10cm (3-4 weeks). Full size: 15-20cm (5-6 weeks). Leaves should be bright green and firm. Harvest before flower stalk appears for best flavour.
What are the best Rocket varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Wild/perennial rocket (Diplotaxis, more heat tolerant), Annual rocket for dry season only.
What grows well with Rocket?
Good companion plants for Rocket include: Dwarf Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, Dill, Strawberry.
Are rocket salt tolerant?
Only a little. Rocket are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.