Growing Swedes - How to Grow Swedes

The swede is very similar to the turnip, the name being a contraction of 'Swedish Turnip' and although it is nothing like a cabbage it is a member of the brassica family so club root will be a problem if you have this on your plot.

Swedes are a slow growing vegetable, taking 20-26 weeks to reach maturity, They are hardy and best left in the ground over winter until required. Although they can be lifted and stored as other root crops, they are at their best within a week of picking.

Cultivating Swedes

For best results, the soil should be light and humus rich with a pH around neutral. Like other brassicas, swedes do not like an acid soil.

They are not a particularly hungry crop but they will benefit from 50 grams per square metre of general purpose fertiliser like fish, blood & bone or Growmore applied a couple of weeks before sowing.

Sow thinly 1cm deep in rows 40cm apart in May and June, thinning out in stages until the plants are 20/25cm apart. Alternatively you can space at 30cm each way. They do not take well to being transplanted but you can start in modules, thinned to one per module, and plant the module to avoid root disturbance.

Swedes are a relatively trouble free crop, cultivation is mainly a matter of keeping them weed free and watering in dry periods to avoid woody texture and split skins.

Start harvesting in November, leaving them in the ground slowly growing, lifting as required through to March

Swede Pests & Problems

Apart from clubroot, swedes can be troubled by the cabbage root fly. If this is a problem on your site, use horticultural fleece to keep the pest off until the crop is well established. They can also suffer from flea beetle and mildew, especially if sown too early.

Culinary Uses Of Swedes

Although often used in soups and stews, swedes also work well as a mashed vegetable. Cut into cubes and boil for 30 minutes, drain and mash with butter, cream and pepper. You can also add a little powdered ginger or nutmeg to add some zing. These can be a little sloppy so try mixing 50/50 with mashed potatoes.

There's a list of recipes using swedes as the main ingredient on this site.

Recommended Varieties of Swede to Grow

Swede Brora is popular, a fast growing variety having a ttractive deep purple skins with bitter-free, creamy-yellow flesh which makes it the ideal kitchen swede. It has outstanding winter hardiness and the foliage has good resistance to powdery mildew.

Brora is available from Dobies, Suttons Seeds and from Thompson & Morgan and has won the RHS Award of Garden Merit

If you have clubroot on your plot then grow Swede Invitation. Not only does it have resistance to clubroot, Invitation is also resistant to powdery mildew. Invitation has also won the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Available from Dobies and Suttons Seeds

Resources

• List of Swede Seeds Available from the Allotment Shop
• General Brassica Information
• Swede Recipes

Allotment Articles
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