Perennial to Zones 4. Feeling defeated by flea beetles? Nikos just about gave up on growing brassicas in her garden, but when Aaron Parker brought Turkish Rocket seeds to the 2017 Seed Swap and Scionwood Exchange, she picked up a few anyway, tempted by the promise of direct-seeded perennial vegetables and by Aaron’s reputation for growing cool plants. To her delight, the flea beetles turned up their noses at this new arrival, allowing ongoing harvest of tender spicy mustard greens and florets for stir-frying throughout the month of May. Larger leaves are harvestable through the growing season, with another flush of new growth starting in mid to late August.
In the perennial garden, these plants stick up for themselves as attractive mounds of bright pointed leaves that shade out weeds. Drought-tolerant with a deep taproot that brings up moisture and minerals, this Rocket attracts beneficial insects and can be used as animal fodder. Considered invasive in some locales, this seems to be less of a problem in Maine. However, attentive deadheading will eliminate that possibility. Not for sale to Wisconsin. ①
This item is sustainably grown