Rutabaga: sowing, cultivation, harvest

Description and Botany

The swede, Chinese cabbage, Lapp cabbage, or Swedish turnip is a root vegetable that is cultivated as a nutritionally rich vegetable plant. It belongs to the large family of Brassicaceae (formerly known as Cruciferae) such as turnips, cabbages, radishes, mustard, and wallflower. The swede is native to Northern Europe.

More than forty varieties of swedes are listed in the European catalogue, and three in the French catalogue. Among the most well-known round-rooted varieties on our plates, we find the Champion swede, the Wilhelmsburger swede, the Saint-Marc yellow, or the Blanc d’Aubigny. Although some varieties are often reserved for livestock fodder, all are actually excellent for humans when they are young.

Brassica napus var. napobrassica is a biennial plant considered a root vegetable, although its edible part is more of a hypocotyl (the part of the stem located below the cotyledons). This thickens to form a pear-shaped bulb averaging 12 cm in diameter, swollen and almost completely hidden in the soil, with only the collar emerging from the ground. The edible part of the plant is generally coloured green or red on its upper half.

The deciduous foliage of the swede grows in a rosette at the top of the hypocotyl. The leaves are long and deeply lobed, very similar to those of the turnip, although they are not pubescent (hairy) unlike the latter.

A melliferous plant, the flowering of the swede occurs generally during the second year of cultivation. It then produces small yellow petalled flowers, gathered in terminal clusters.

Rich in vitamin C, fibre, and minerals, the swede offers numerous nutritional benefits.

Main varieties of swedes

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Champion Rapeseed (yellow with red collar) - Vilmorin seeds - Brassica napus

The very bulky Champion rutabaga, round and purple-red, is a hardy and resilient variety with excellent yield. Its flesh is particularly fine and very nutritious.

• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Wilhemsburger Rapeseed (with green neck) - Vilmorin seeds - Brassica napus

The Wilhemsburger rutabaga produces spherical roots (hypocotyls) that are yellow with a green collar. With dense flesh and very good storage qualities, it is an excellent food plant, especially when cooked in a stew. It is also used as a forage plant. This valuable winter vegetable withstands moderate cold.

• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Wilhemsburger Rapeseed (with green neck) - Vilmorin seeds - Brassica napus

The Wilhemsburger rutabaga is a large variety with a green collar and white flesh. Hardy and particularly productive, it is easy to grow.

• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Swede Magres - Rutabaga

The Magres rutabaga is a variety with purple tubercles and yellow flesh of very good taste quality. Hardy and resistant to diseases, it is easy to cultivate.

• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Swede Brora - Rutabaga

The Brora rutabaga is an English variety whose round hypocotyl offers a beautiful colour with its purple collar. The Brora swede also features delicious yellow flesh and has very good storage qualities.

• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Swede Tweed F1 - Rutabaga

Originating from Great Britain, the Tweed rutabaga is a variety with a purple collar and tasty cream-coloured flesh with a fine texture. Its hypocotyl has a uniform globular shape. The Tweed swede is an early and vigorous variety that grows particularly well in less fertile soils.

• Height at maturity 30 cm

See the product sheet

Cultivation, care and maintenance of swede

While it tolerates partially shaded situations, rutabaga thrives in sunny exposures.

A root vegetable ideal for cold and humid climates, the Siamese cabbage is a hardy vegetable plant capable of withstanding frost and temperatures around -20°C, provided that the soil is well-drained. It prefers deep, fertile, rich, and humus-bearing soil. On the other hand, it is better to avoid cultivating it in poor, chalky soil.

Rutabaga cultivation © Eileen Kane – Flickr

Easy to grow once established, rutabaga is a plant that requires little maintenance and care to thrive. Even with minimal care, rutabaga easily reaches ripeness.

Rutabaga is water-hungry. Watering should be regular, but the soil must never be waterlogged. Mulching the base of the swede with leaves or dried grass clippings helps to maintain soil moisture and keeps it cool during the summer.

Remember to hoe and weed regularly around your rutabaga plants to allow water to penetrate the soil well and to limit the proliferation of weeds.

For rutabagas left in the ground for part of the winter, hill up the base in autumn and apply a mulch of leaves to protect it from frost.

When and how to sow swede?

When to sow?

Sowing of swede is carried out under cover in early spring (March-April), or directly in place at the end of spring, beginning of summer (May to July).

Sowing swede © Hefin Owen – Flickr

Sowing under cover

• Sow under cover from 15°C
• Sow in trays or in buckets filled with a rich, well-drained substrate
• Bury the seeds of swede 1 to 2 cm deep
• Lightly cover the seeds
• Firm and water with a fine spray to lightly moisten the substrate
• Germination occurs in about 10 days
• Thin out the young plants to 7 cm when they have 2 to 3 leaves

Transplanting young plants sown under cover

The sowings made under cover are transplanted in place between the months of May and June.

• Choose a location with sunny or partially shaded exposure
• Transplant the young plants with 3 or 4 leaves
• Space the plants 30 to 40 cm apart in all directions
• Water regularly without waterlogging the soil
• Mulch the bases to retain soil moisture and freshness
• Hoe regularly

Sowing in place

• Preferably choose a sunny location
• Turn the soil to a depth of 20 cm
• Amend the soil with potting soil
• Sow in rows every 30 cm approximately in the same rank
• Push the seeds 2 cm deep
• Water with a fine spray without waterlogging
• Germination occurs in about ten days

Harvest, storage, and uses of swede

Harvest

Rutabaga is harvested as needed from late summer to autumn (September to November), and sometimes even into the heart of winter (February). It is important to note that swede is much tenderer and tastier when harvested before full ripeness. Proceed by lifting the plants, preferably in dry weather.

Harvesting rutabaga © Johnathan Nightingale – Flickr

Note: rutabaga is ready to be harvested when it is firm and heavy. Yields are estimated at around 4 kg per m².

Storage

Rutabaga is a hardy root vegetable that can be stored in the ground until February. However, harvesting can become more difficult in the event of prolonged frost. Winter rutabaga can be left in the ground until March provided it was sown as late as possible.

Once harvested, it is best stored in a silo in a cellar, buried in sand or turf at a temperature not exceeding 10°C. It can also be kept in a rather cool and dark room.

In the refrigerator, swede keeps for a few days in the vegetable drawer.

Uses

• Forage use

Forage varieties of rutabaga are used for feeding cattle and sheep in pasture. It is particularly appreciated by horses. Only the foliage and the above-ground part of the hypocotyl are used.

• In cooking

Lighter than turnip, rutabaga is particularly valued in cooking for its pronounced nutty flavour.

It is most often cooked, just like potato, in the form of mash, gratin, or even fried.

Siamese cabbage also pairs very well with winter vegetables such as turnip and carrot. It cleverly complements traditional winter stews, especially pot-au-feu.

Note: the thickness of rutabaga flesh makes it difficult to peel with a peeler. It is therefore preferable to use a knife rather than a vegetable peeler.

• Medicinal properties

Swede is a vegetable known to be very rich in fibre and potassium. This composition makes it a good diuretic and may reduce the risk of hypo-citraturia. The diuretic properties of rutabaga may help combat high blood pressure and heart failure.

Siamese cabbage is also credited with laxative, digestive, and remineralising properties.

Note: rutabaga, like all plants of the genus Brassica, may promote the appearance of simple goitre (benign enlargement of the thyroid gland).

Diseases and potential pests of swede

Swede can be subject to various diseases.

• Alternaria leaf spot refers to a series of fungal diseases caused by fungi of the genera Alternaria or Ulocladium.
• Cabbage root maggot, a cryptogamic disease caused by a myxomycete protist, a microscopic fungus from the family Plasmodiophoraceae.
• Downy mildew, a cryptogamic disease caused by a pathogenous fungus, Phytophthora infestans, which primarily develops in humid conditions between 17 and 20°C.
• Powdery mildew, also known as white rot or white disease, refers to a series of cryptogamic diseases caused by the asexual form of certain ascomycete fungi.

On the pest side, swede can be attacked by various harmful insects such as flea beetles, gall midges, weevils, cabbage flies, cutworms, and cabbage whites.

Gastropods, slugs and snails, are also fond of swede leaves.

To protect your swedes from the risks of diseases and pests, some preventive measures can be taken:

• To combat cabbage fly or flea beetles, consider removing the roots from the soil at the beginning of August.
• Rotate crops in the vegetable garden to avoid powdery mildew and root rot.
• By regularly weeding and mulching the soil, you will also prevent the proliferation of certain pests.

Rutabaga propagation

As we have seen previously, the propagation of swede is carried out by sowing under cover between March and April, or directly in place between May and July, when all risk of frost has passed.

It is better to purchase swede seeds from the market. Indeed, the harvest of seeds is particularly complex in the case of turnip, as it is a biennial plant that will only flower if you leave it in the ground all winter.

Pairing swede with the vegetable garden

Rutabaga enjoys the company of many other vegetable plants, such as lettuces, carrots, celery, mint, broad beans, or even beans.

1.Lettuce 2.Carrots 3.Celery 4.Rutabaga 5.Mint 6.Broad beans 7.Beans

On the other hand, to avoid any potential mineral imbalance in the soil, avoid the proximity of other Brassicas (radishes, turnips, cabbages, broccolis…). Likewise, do not sow your rutabagas where you previously cultivated other Brassicas. It is also advisable to wait a few years before replanting rutabagas in the same spot in your vegetable garden.