Growing
Swedes Swede is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and is
well-suited to the novice gardener. They also crop over a very
long time. This is because they can be left in the soil throughout
the winter.
Swede is often confused with turnips but they
have several advantages over the turnip. Firstly, they crop much
later in the season and swede is well capable of withstanding
very hard frosts. In addition, the swede is sweeter and milder.
As the name implies, swede originated from Sweden
and they are related to the turnip.
SWEDE QUICK GUIDE
Latin Name Brassica napus napobrassica
Type Hardy Biennial
Sowing to Harvest Time 20-24 weeks
How Many?
0.5-1kg (1-21/4 lb) per root
Size 7.5-17.5 cm (3-7 in) in diameter, 12.5-17.5 cm (5-7
in) long
Swedes are grown in most cases purely for the tasty edible roots but
it's also possible to leave the root in the ground and eat the green
leaves which will appear in the spring. Just cook them as you would for
spring greens. There are three types of swede and they are known
as green tops, bronze tops and purple tops. Purple tops produce the
largest crops and are the most commonly available.
Where To Grow Your
Swedes Swedes prefer a medium soil which contains
lots of nutrients although they will be happy growing in most soil
types. They are unfortunately prone to club root so make sure the soil
is not too acidic. Acid soils encourage club root. The ideal pH for
swedes is somewhere between 7.0 and 7.4. If the soil is short of
nutrients then add some well-rotted manure a month or so prior to sowing
seed. If manure is not available then add a long lasting fertiliser such
as bonemeal or similar.
Swedes don't like being waterlogged. If your soil is not
free draining then either dig in some well-rotted compost or grow them
on a ridge so that the water drains away.
Copyright 2000-08 David Marks. All rights reserved.
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