The swede is harvested from September and is therefore one of the winter vegetables. Here you can find out everything - from growing to harvesting the swede.
Turvets (Brassica napus subsp. napobrassica) are an ancient vegetable that has regained prominence in our gardens and gardens in recent years Kitchens wins. So that the winter vegetables can also find their way into your garden, we will tell you everything you need to know about swedes. In our article you will learn everything about their origin, different varieties, the perfect location, cultivation, care and use of the delicious beet.
Red turnips belong to the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae). They are a variety of the rapeseed species (Brassica napus), i.e. a subspecies of rapeseed that produces turnips. The swede has many names: it is also called turnip, butter turnip, kohlrabi, turnip or Wruke. In Austria it is called "Dotsche", in Bavaria "Dodschn" and in Switzerland "Knutsche". It is also nicknamed the “pineapple of the north” because of its yellow color and sweet taste. However, all of these names refer to one and the same vegetable: a long underestimated turnip that has recently been gaining more and more appreciation and attention. And rightly so, because the beets are easy to grow, provide a rich harvest in autumn and winter and are also full of he althy ingredients such as vitamins, oils and minerals.
Rutabaga: origin and characteristics
It is unclear where the swede originally comes from. It is probably a cross between Brassica rapa, a type of turnip, and wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea). Swedes probably came to Germany from Scandinavia in the 17th century. Today it is grown all over the world in all temperate climates. Swedes play an important role in the history of Germany: They were an important staple food in times of need. After a large potato crop failure in 1917, the population was dependent on turnips for food. Back then, they even published their own turnip cookbooks.It contained recipes for swedes in all variations: they were made into soups, casseroles, cakes, jams and even coffee. After that, turnips were a rather unpopular vegetable and were mainly grown as animal feed. So that the beets are not completely forgotten, they were named Vegetables of the Year in 2022 by the “Association for the Preservation of Crop Diversity” (VEN).
The turnip is actually a biennial plant, but it is only grown once a year. There are varieties with greenish, yellow and reddish flesh. The beet leaves have strong stalks, the leaves are somewhat wavy. Rutabagas only bloom in their second year, so if you grow them for a year, you won't be able to enjoy flowering rutabagas.
Root Varieties
When choosing the variety of swede, the color of the flesh is the most important factor. It is different for different varieties. In general, yellow-fleshed varieties are more suitable for consumption because they taste finer and have firmer flesh. They are also full of beta-carotene, hence the yellow color. Traditionally, white-fleshed turnips are grown more as animal feed, but there are also white-fleshed varieties with a very fine aroma. In fact, the swede is characterized by a high variety of varieties. However, most of the swede species that were cultivated in Germany up until the 1950s are thought to have disappeared. Most of the rutabaga varieties that exist today come from western and northern Europe.
Red Turnip Varieties for Growing in the Garden:
- ‘Wilhelmsburger’: Green-headed variety and a rather new breed
- 'Margress': Blue-headed turnip variety with a mild aroma
- 'Turin': This variety is characterized by its white flesh and its particularly large fruits
- 'Spanish': Green-headed variety
- ‘Marian’: Red-headed turnip variety with yellow flesh
- ‘Best of All’: This variety has a particularly good shelf life and is purple-headed
- 'Helenor': This variety has a red head and yellow flesh
Buy turnips: you should pay attention to this
When buying turnips, you can use seeds or young plants that have already been grown. However, sowing and cultivating your own swede seedlings is very easy and problem-free, so buying swede seeds is a good idea.
However, if you decide to buy young plants, you should make sure that the plants are in good he alth, do not have any damage and make a vital impression. You can buy swede seeds and young plants in well-stocked hardware stores, garden centres, nurseries or on the Internet.
Growing turnips
Red turnips are a rewarding vegetable to grow in your own garden. You can get a bountiful harvest with just a little effort. Nevertheless, you should be careful when choosing the right location and when sowing in order to be able to offer your swedes the best possible growing conditions.
Growing turnips: the right time
You can sow swedes directly outdoors from the end of May to the end of July. Preparing swedes is possible, but there are hardly any advantages.
Tip: Red turnips are wonderful as a follow-up crop after new potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) or beans (Phaseolus ).
Growing turnips: The perfect location
Red turnips love a sunny to partially shaded location. The optimal soil for the swede should be moist and deep. You also do the swede a favor with a humus-rich and loamy soil. Swedes are medium feeders, i.e. neither heavy nor weak feeders, and therefore only require moderately nutrient-rich soil. The optimal pH for the rutabagas is neutral to basic and should be at least 6.8.
Summary of swede site claims:
- Sunny to semi-shady location
- Damp, deep soil
- Humus and loamy soil pH value at least 6.8
Tip: When growing swedes at the same location, always take a break of at least three years. This will prevent you from being attacked by diseases such as clubroot and pests.
Growing turnips: Instructions
To prepare the bed well for sowing, remove all weeds, stones or roots. Also work humus-rich material into the soil. Compost, mature manure and organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer are suitable for this. For sowing, create a seed furrow half a centimeter deep. The seeds are placed there at a distance of 40 to 50 centimeters. The distance between the rows should alsobe about 40 centimeters. Alternatively, you can also sow the swedes more densely and separate them after they have sprouted when they are in the dicot stage. At a temperature between 15 and 18 °C, the seeds will germinate in seven to ten days.
Summary of planting turnips:
- Prepare bed and enrich with compost or organic slow-release fertilizer
- Create a seed furrow of 1 cm deep
- Seed deposit at a distance of 40 - 50 cm
- Spacing between rows: At least 40 cm
- Germination at 15 - 18 °C in 7 - 10 days
Tip: Good plant neighbors for the swede are peas (Pisum sativum), lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta), dill ( Anethum graveolens), celery (Apium graveolens) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus).
Caring for turnips
After planting, turnips should be watered regularly. They prefer it to be permanently wet. Especially in the warm summer months of July and August, if you have sown your turnips early, you need to water them regularly and sufficiently. If it rains more in autumn and it gets cooler, you can reduce or stop watering altogether. You should keep the bed free of weeds and grass, your swedes will thank you. Regular, loose hoeing also stimulates mineralization and loosens the soil. If the swedes are larger, they should be lightly mounded and the heads of the swedes covered with soil. How to avoid heads turning green.
Red turnips have a rather low nutrient requirement. This means that if you have already enriched the soil with compost or slow-release fertilizer when planting, further fertilizer for the swedes is not necessary. Otherwise, an organic fertilizer application is recommended two months after sowing. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer with organic long-term effect is ideal for this, which promotes soil life and optimally covers the nutrient requirements of your turnips.
Summary of caring for turnips:
- Water regularly during young development
- Weed and hoe regularly
- Hill larger turnips
- If fertilizer was used during planting, no further application of fertilizer is necessary
- Otherwise after two months an organic fertilizer application
Harvesting and storing swedes
The harvest time of your turnips depends of course on the moment of sowing.The earliest the swede harvest begins, however, is in September. The longer the turnips remain in the ground, the larger they will grow. However, they also become less tender when harvested later, but can be stored better. The beets withstand moderate frost, for short periods they can withstand temperatures down to -8 °C. By Christmas you should have pulled all the swedes out of the ground and put them away.
To harvest, pull the beets out of the ground by the leaves or use a digging fork. Then the leaves are twisted. Swedes used to be stored in a beet clamp in the garden. For an earth rent, a pit that is at least 40 centimeters deep is dug and the bottom is covered with five centimeters of sand. The vegetables are then placed in a plastic bin or box and covered with leaves and finally a wooden board. Alternatively, you can store your turnips in a box with sand in the basement. The swedes should store well up until April and provide them with vitamins and nutrients throughout the winter.
Red turnips: ingredients and use
Red turnips can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen. Similar to potatoes, they can be served as a side dish or with other vegetables, made into a puree, or pan-fried or fried into chips or pancakes. A classic is of course the swede stew. Swedes are also good in a hearty winter soup. Fresh, young turnips can also be eaten raw and thinly sliced in a salad. Swedes contain a relatively large amount of sugar, but also minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. It also contains vitamins B and C. Thanks to its high water content, the swede is very low in calories, despite the high amount of sugar: 100 grams contain only 29 kcal.