When should I sow swede in the UK?

May to early June. Don't sow earlier than May — April-sown swedes face the worst of the flea beetle generation and grow slowly through cold weather. May-sown plants outgrow the pest faster. Single sowing covers the season; swedes are not a successional crop.

What's the difference between swede and turnip?

Different species. Swede (Brassica napus, subsp. rapifera): yellow-orange flesh, dense and slightly waxy when raw, slow-growing (24+ weeks from sowing), very hardy (RHS H6), classic winter storage root. Turnip (Brassica rapa): white flesh, fast-growing (6–12 weeks), tender when young, hardy (H5). Swedes are the neeps in Scottish neeps and tatties. Different in flavour, hardiness, and growing schedule.

Why are my swedes small and woody?

Drought stress during the first 6 weeks after sowing is the usual cause. Swedes need consistent moisture to develop full-sized roots; once they check, they don't catch up. Other causes: club-root infection, sowing too late, or a cultivar wrong for UK conditions.

How do I stop club root on brassicas?

Lime the soil to pH 7+ before planting. Raise transplants in modules so they have a strong root system before going in. Use brassica rotation (don't plant brassicas in the same bed two years running). If your bed is heavily infected, the only solution is to skip brassicas in that bed for 7+ years; or grow in containers of fresh compost. Club-root-resistant cultivars (Invitation F1 swede, Kilaton F1 cabbage) are useful tools.

When are swedes ready to harvest?

From late October onwards, but frost-sweetened roots are best — wait until after the first hard frost in November for the transformation in flavour. The first lifts can be cricket-ball-sized; later lifts can be tennis-ball or larger. Smaller is sweeter; over-large swedes get woody.

How long do swedes store?

Lifted and stored in damp sand in a frost-free shed: 4–5 months, until March. Left in the ground under straw mulch in milder gardens: until February or March, lifted as needed. They hold up far better than turnips in storage and are one of the most useful UK storage vegetables.

Rutabaga

Brassica napus subsp. rapifera

Sow swede seed direct from May to early June for autumn–winter harvest. Swede is very hardy (RHS H6) and the orange-fleshed staple of Scottish neeps and tatties — slower-growing than turnip, hardier, and bigger-rooted. Sow thinly in deep stone-free soil; thin to 30 cm apart. Watch for flea beetle on young leaves (fleece protection or a slightly later sowing dodges the worst). Lift from late October onwards; frost actually improves the flavour. Most allotment growers lift in November and store in damp sand for winter; in milder gardens swedes can be left in the ground under straw mulch and pulled as needed. Marian (the UK standard) and Brora (newer, club-root resistant) are the reliable choices.

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