Delicious plant you can still sow in November for crops all winter long

The plant's seeds are placed in good, fertile soil between March and September or even in autumn if you have protection from colder temperatures.

Gardeners on the hunt for plants to grow should consider sowing a delicious plant which provides crops throughout the winter.

Rocket is fast and easy to grow and its peppery flavour brings some oomph to tasty salads. The plant's seeds are planted in in good, fertile soil between March and September or even in autumn if you have protection from colder temperatures. It can also be sown during the spring and summer which should give you plenty of food for salads.

Its leafy crops can be started in seed trays and will grow happily on a sunny windowsill which will allow plenty of leaves for winter pickings. Rocket plants should be covered by sheets of 'horticultural fleece' which Gardener's World says "keep the cold at bay." It means you can be harvesting crops of leaves through to the first frosts of winter.

The crop will develop a "long tap root' so there will be root disturbance. And experts say it is best to sow rocket seeds into well-prepared soil, as opposed to a seed tray where they can be replanted. A gardening guru on the show said: "Before sowing, prepare the soil well and ensure it's free from weeds, then make a short, shallow drill roughly 1cm deep, water it and scatter the seeds thinly. Cover lightly with soil and firm gently,"

The leaves of rocket are rich in vitamin C and folic acid and both calcium and potassium. They are a great source of vitamins A, B and K. They are normally eaten raw and cooking diminishes their goodness. The flowers of the rocket plant are also edible and make beautiful garnishes for salads and other dishes.

Gardener's World advises: "Rocket can be sown into plug modules, which provide more space for developing roots. Just make sure you sow thinly and transplant the plants before they have developed their long tap root, to prevent root disturbance. This can be especially useful if sowing in late winter for an early crop. Sow every fortnight for a continuous supply from spring to the first frosts."

The plant can be grown in pots and in the ground if the compost is kept moist. Gardeners are advised to fill a pot with peat-free, multi-purpose compost before scattering the seeds and covering with more compost. The Mirror reported earlier how rocket should be sown. Gardeners World said: “Sown direct in well-prepared soil or in pots. Cover with a cloche to protect from the worst of the weather, or move pots into a greenhouse or similar for shelter,” they added. Normally from sowing to picking takes about six weeks for salad leaves. "They are some of the easiest plants to grow, thriving even in poor soils and cooler, wetter climates. You can sow the plants from March to September “or even longer if you cover plants with a cloche or fleece and choose winter-cropping varieties.”