Guide to Growing Swede

• Similar to the turnip, the name being a contraction of 'Swedish Turnip'.
• Swedes are slow growing and best left in the ground over winter, being harvested as they are required.
• They are not suitable for close spacing or pot growing.

Sowing and Growing

• A member of the brassica family – read the general brassica growing advice.
• Swedes are not a particularly hungry crop but will benefit from 50 grams per square metre (2 oz per square yard) of general purpose fertiliser such as fish, blood and bone or Growmore, applied a couple of weeks before sowing.
• Sow thinly in May–June, direct in the soil, 1 cm (½ inch) deep, in rows 40 cm (16 inches) apart.
• Thin out in stages, until the plants are 20–25 cm (8–10 inches) apart.
• Keep well watered in dry periods to avoid a woody texture and split skins.

Harvesting

• Harvest from November. Leave the swedes to grow on in the ground, lifting them as needed.
• They can be stored as other root crops, but are at their best within a week of picking.

Pests and Problems

• As a brassica, club root will be a problem if you have it on your plot.
• Cabbage root fly can be troublesome.
• Swedes can suffer from the flea beetle and mildew, particularly if sown too early.

Varieties

• Brora is a popular variety – fast growing, with bitter-free flesh, outstanding winter hardiness and good resistance to powdery mildew.
• Invitation is the variety to grow if you have club root. It is resistant to both club root and powdery mildew, and has the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Eating

• Use in soups and stews, or served as a mash combined with potatoes.

RHS Award of Garden Merit

• Brora
• Ruby
• More information on the Award of Garden Merit