Swede: Growing from Sowing to Harvest and Storage

In short: Swede is a brassica with yellow flesh that grows for 5–6 months. It is sown directly in the bed from the end of April to mid-June in rows 40 cm apart, and the plants are thinned to 20–25 cm. It needs moist, limy soil and even watering. It is harvested from September to November, light frosts do not bother it.

Swede, known in some regions by local names, belongs to the vegetables that have been somewhat forgotten. Yet it is undemanding, copes well with cooler locations and in autumn gives a large supply of roots that keep in a cellar until spring. In the wider world you know it as rutabaga or Swedish turnip.

Growing it is simple, it only has two conditions: enough time and even moisture. Here is the method from sowing to storage, and also an explanation of how swede differs from turnip, with which it is often confused.

Swede or Turnip?

Both vegetables are brassicas with a round root and in shops and recipes they are interchanged. Botanically, however, they are two different species with a different growing time:

Anyone who wants a quick harvest on a balcony or between other vegetables is better off with turnip. Swede is a vegetable for the whole season and for a winter supply.

Site and Soil

Swede grows best in sun or light partial shade, in deep, loamy, moist and fertile soil. In light sandy soils it dries out and the roots become woody. Cooler and damper submontane locations suit it better than hot lowlands.

• pH: 6.5–7.5. Lime acidic soil in autumn before sowing. Limy soil also holds back clubroot.
• Rotation: return to the same place only after 4 years and not after cabbage, kohlrabi, radishes or mustard. Swede is a brassica and shares diseases and pests with them.
• Feeding: dig in compost already in autumn. No fresh manure, the roots would fork and store worse.
• Boron: when it is lacking, the flesh inside the root turns brown and glassy. Compost or a fertiliser with trace elements helps.

How swede fits among the other brassicas in the crop rotation is described in the article Brassica vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, kale.

Sowing and Thinning Step by Step

1. Timing: from the end of April to mid-June. Early sowing gives larger roots, but in a hot summer suffers more from pests. Sowing at the turn of May and June gives roots for winter storage. Tips on what else to sow at the start of summer are in the article What to sow in June.
2. Rows: 38–40 cm apart, depth 1.5–2 cm.
3. Sowing: place seeds 2–3 cm apart, cover and firm the soil. They emerge in 5–10 days.
4. First thinning: at the stage of 2–3 true leaves leave the plants 10 cm apart.
5. Second thinning: 2–3 weeks later to the final 20–25 cm. At closer spacing the roots will be smaller; for young swede 8–10 cm is enough.
6. Raising in advance: it can also be done in a seed tray: sow seeds in April two per cell and plant the seedlings in the bed when they have 4–5 leaves. Swede tolerates transplanting less well than kale, so do not wait until they outgrow it.

Care During Summer

• Watering: even, especially in July and August. Alternating drought and torrential water causes the roots to split, long drought makes them woody and bitter.
• Mulch: a layer of cut grass or straw between the rows keeps moisture in and limits weeds.
• Hoeing: shallowly between the rows, the roots are near the surface.
• Flea beetles: they chew small holes in young plants. Cover the rows with fleece straight after sowing and leave it in place until the plants have gained strength.
• Cabbage root fly and cabbage white caterpillars: the fleece protects against these as well. Pick caterpillars off the leaves by hand.
• Mildew: a white coating on the leaves at the end of summer, more frequent in drought. Regular watering helps the plants.

Other root vegetables have similar requirements and problems, an overview is in the article Root vegetables – carrot, radish, parsley, celeriac, beetroot.

Harvest and Storage

You can harvest from September, as soon as the roots are 10–15 cm in diameter. Young roots the size of a tennis ball are the most delicate. Swede tolerates light frosts and is sweeter after them, so feel free to leave it in the bed until October or November. Before hard frosts below –5 °C, however, lift it.

1. Lift the roots in dry weather with a digging fork so as not to damage them.
2. Cut the tops 2–3 cm above the root, do not shorten the roots.
3. Set damaged and split roots aside and use them straight away.
4. Put healthy roots into boxes with damp sand in a cellar at a temperature of 0–5 °C. They keep for several months.

In the kitchen swede is good in soups, as a mash with potato, roasted with root vegetables or grated raw into a salad.

Can Swede Be Grown in a Container?

It can, but the result tends to be weaker. Swede needs deep moist soil and the whole season, in a container it dries out quickly and the roots stay small. If you want to try, use a container at least 30 cm deep and 20 litres per plant, and water daily. For a balcony turnip is the better choice, which you can harvest in two months.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is swede sown?

Directly in the bed from the end of April to mid-June. For winter storage, sowing at the turn of May and June is best.

How long does swede take to grow?

From sowing to harvest 5–6 months. Young roots can be harvested earlier, after roughly 3–4 months.

When should swede be harvested?

From September to November, when the roots are 10–15 cm. Light frosts do not bother it and improve the flavour, lift it before hard frosts.

How do I store swede over winter?

Cut the tops 2–3 cm above the root and put the roots in damp sand in a cellar at 0–5 °C. They keep for several months.

Why does swede split or turn woody?

Splitting is caused by alternating drought and heavy watering, woodiness by long drought or harvesting too late. Even watering and mulch help.

What is the difference between swede and turnip?

Swede has yellow flesh, bloomy leaves and grows for 5–6 months. Turnip has white flesh, hairy leaves and is harvested after only 6–10 weeks.

Recommended Products

We currently do not have swede seed on offer. For growing and as a quicker alternative, the following are suitable:

• Turnip TOKYO TOP F1 – a white turnip harvested in a few weeks, suitable even where swede does not thrive.
• Leaf turnip NAMENIA – a brassica grown for its leaves, a quick vegetable for salads and stir-frying.
• White fleece 1.6 × 5 m – covering the sowing against flea beetles and cabbage root fly.
• Pegs for securing fleece (10 pcs) – so that the fleece holds even in wind and pests cannot get under it.
• MULTI seed tray 4 × 4 cm – for raising seedlings in April.

Sources

• Brassica napus – rape brassica, including swede and the difference from turnip (botany.cz)
• How to grow swede (Royal Horticultural Society)
• How to grow turnips (Royal Horticultural Society)

Updated: 27 September 2026