In German hobby gardens, two types of arugula thrive with spicy-hot leaves for crunchy salad enjoyment. Frost hardy and perennial is only one genus. Here you can find out how to recognize a hardy rocket and how to accurately distinguish it from an annual mustard rocket. This is how you properly overwinter frost-resistant rocket in beds and tubs.
There is only one hardy variety of arugula
Recognizing hardy arugula - tips
If rocket is on the table in a German household, it is usually the spicy-aromatic salad rocket or mustard rocket (Eruca sativa). The varieties of this arugula genus are extremely sensitive to frost and are not suitable for overwintering. The wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), on the other hand, is a hardy perennial that thrives in the garden and along the way. The table below shows how to differentiate between the two types:
| Distinguish arugula | Perennial/hardy | Annual/sensitive to frost |
|---|---|---|
| Surname | wild rocket | Garden mustard rocket |
| botanical name | Diplotaxis tenuifolia | Eruca sativa |
| middle name | Narrow-leaved double seed | Real rocket salad |
| growth height | 70 to 100 cm | 10 to 50 cm |
| heyday | May to September | May to September |
| flower color | yellow | White |
| leaves | narrow, feathered | bookish-pinnate (similar to dandelion) |
| taste | sharp | nutty, slightly spicy |
| plant family | cruciferous | cruciferous |
| genus | double seeds | mustard rocket |
New on the market is the rocket variety 'Runway', a successful cross between salad rocket and wild rocket, which is only conditionally hardy.
Overwinter wild rocket - tips for beds and tubs
Have you identified your arugula plant as a hardy wild rocket? Then nothing stands in the way of perennial cultivation if you heed these tips. This is how you overwinter rocket in the bed and on the balcony properly:
Overwinter in the bed
- Cut the arugula down to the ground after the first frost
- Root disc cover with leaves and needle brushwood
Overwinter in a bucket on the balcony
- Cut back shoots and leaves before the onset of winter
- Mulch the substrate with straw, autumn leaves or bark mulch
- Wrap the container with winter fleece
- Place on a block of wood in a sheltered corner of the balcony
Regular watering is the most important care for arugula in winter. Drought stress is the most common cause of wild rocket plants failing to sprout in spring. If snow and rain do not provide moisture in the bed, please water on frost-free days. In the pot, check the substrate every one to two weeks by finger testing whether there is a need for watering.
tips
If the wild rocket in the herb spiral no longer sprout after the winter, it could be due to the neighboring plants. In mixed cultivation with chervil, coriander or nasturtium, rocket is often at a disadvantage.