[campanologist]

I decided to try some rocket salad this year as other varieties Have been successful. I got them from the garden centre and transplanted them into a large tub. They grew quite well but they were spindely and the leaves were spars and small. What  have I done wrong?

[Bizzi Lizzi]

I'm not sure, which is no help to you whatsoever, but I'm going to keep up with your news as I've just planted some too!  There are just a couple of leaves on each plant so far but I am sure that someone reading your post will know the answer.

[JayG]

Don't get mad at it (in particular, don't count to 10 backwards!)   

It's hard to stop rocket flowering (although the flowers are edible and taste quite nice IMO). Feeding with a high nitrogen liquid feed (Miracle Gro or similar) and giving it a "haircut" to encourage more branching will help.

[mumofstig]

There are several cultivated varieties of Rocket, as well as the wild sort.
It sounds as if yours was more like the wild kind.

They are sooooo easy to grow from seed, just be careful to study the packet, to make sure they look as if they are the type with wider leaves

[campanologist]

Thanks. I will give my cuurant crop a hair cut and start some more off from seed. Does giving it a harcut stop it going to seed or flowering.

[JayG]

Thanks. I will give my cuurant crop a hair cut and start some more off from seed. Does giving it a harcut stop it going to seed or flowering.

No, it just encourages it to produce some more useable leaves before the inevitable flowering.