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Rutabagas

Though similar to turnips, rutabagas have a sweet flavor and will taste best if harvested past the first few frosts.

Photo Credit
Peter Turner/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Brassica napobrassica
Plant Type
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
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How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Rutabagas

The Editors
March 7, 2023
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Also known as “swedes,” rutabagas are essentially a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. They’re grown for their softball-size, golden-color roots and their greens. Here’s how to plant and grow rutabagas in your garden!

About Rutabagas

A biennial root vegetable, rutabagas are usually treated as annual crops that are generally planted in midsummer and allowed to mature in the cool weather of fall (or as a winter crop in warmer climates). They make a lovely autumn harvest vegetable after being “kissed” by a fall frost, which brings out a richer flavor. 

Rutabagas are often confused with turnips; they’re called “swedes” in Europe and “neeps” in Scotland. To add further confusion, they’re also called “Swedish turnips” or “winter turnips” or “yellow turnips.” They are not turnips, though they are cousins and essentially a cross between a turnip and cabbage.

Turnips are much smaller than rutabagas which are the size of a grapefruit (thanks to its cabbage relation). In addition, turnips are have a lighter skin and white flesh whereas the rutabaga has a warmer color and yellow fresh with a smooth and waxy blue-green foliage. Finally, there’s the difference in taste. Turnips generally have spicy notes; rutabagas have a mild, sweet flavor with a faint peppery flavor.

Compared to turnips, rutabagas require a few weeks longer to mature. Otherwise, the two vegetables require very similar care in the garden. This is an easy-to-grow root vegetable as long as you follow some of the basic requirements outlined below, namely planting dates and consistent watering.

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Planting

Rutabagas prefer full sun (or light shade). Grow them in the ground or in raised beds with deep, loose soil without any rocks or soil clumps. While rutabagas will tolerate ordinary soil, the roots will grow bigger in fertile soil that’s been enriched with a layer of compost or organic matter. Avoid planting rutabagas and other cole crops in the same place more than once every 3 to 4 years.

When to Plant Rutabagas

The main challenge with rutabagas is getting the timing right. Rutabagas must mature in cool weather (no warmer than 60°F at night). They need at least 3 months to mature, so count back 90 days from your fall frosts to estimate a good sowing time. Roots will become woody and fibrous if they get a warm spell when maturing. A light fall frost improves the roots’ quality and flavor.

How to Plant Rutabagas

  • Maximize your harvest with a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer, adding half of the recommended amount at planting and half about 4 weeks after planting. Avoid too much nitrogen at all once, which can impeded bulb formation.
  • Sow seeds when the soil reaches 40ºF. Optimum soil temperatures are 40º to 60º F.
  • Plant seeds 1/2 of an inch deep, 2 inches apart, in rows 14 to 18 inches apart.
  • To sidestep a hot summer, start seedlings indoors and set them out when it’s cloudy. Or direct-seed into the ground and thin later to proper spacing.
  • Seeds will germinate in 4 to 7 days. After germination, thin to 6 inches apart. Do NOT crowd rutabagas or they will grow huge tops with skinny roots. 
Growing
  • Water with 1 to 1½ inches per week and more as roots reach maturity. Never let the soil dry out. Keep moist but not soggy or waterlogged. An old rutabaga-growing adage says, “If in doubt, water.”
  • Water consistently. Spotty watering that teeters from dry to wet will cause split roots. This is where a soaker hose (or drip irrigation) would come in handy.
  • Mulch to retain moisture and keep soil cool.
  • Control weeds with frequent but shallow cultivation.
  • Sustained average temperatures of over 80ºF might cause bolting.
Recommended Varieties
  • ‘American Purple Top’ has a slightly deeper purple crown than other rutabaga varieties.
  • ‘Laurentian’ looks similar to ‘American Purple Top’, but the root can be a bit smaller.
Harvesting
  • Harvest the roots when they are 4 to 5 inches in diameter for best taste. (They’ll be the size of a softball.) Be gentle when harvesting the roots.
  • However, you call also harvest early—when the roots are 2 to 3 inches in diameter—for a more tender, succulent texture.
  • The roots will push up out of the ground as they gain size; this is perfectly normal. Note that garden-grown rutabagas tend to be more top-shaped than round.
  • A few frosts will enhance the sweet flavor of rutabagas, but be sure to harvest before the ground freezes.
  • Rutabaga foliage is edible when harvested young and tender. However, do not harvest more than a few leaves per root, as they need their foliage to grow big roots.

How to Store Rutabagas

  • To store, cut off the foliage to within 1 inch of the crown with a sharp knife. Wash the roots lightly before letting them dry for a day in a cool place.
  • Store the roots in plastic bags in the refrigerator.
  • Or, store a larger harvest in moist sand or sawdust in a cold garage, shed, basement, or root cellar. However, to last long (up to four months), rutabagas need high humidity (90 to 95%) and cold temperatures (just above freezing).
Wit and Wisdom
  • Rutabagas were among the early jack-o-lanterns (they didn’t always use pumpkins!). Try spicing up your Halloween decorations next fall with a carved rutabaga.
  • Rutabagas are known as “Hanovers” in some mid-Atlantic states and as “table turnips” in parts of Canada.
  • Rutabagas were originally animal fodder, but humans soon recognized their nutritional and tasty potential. They are low in calories and high in fiber. Rutabagas are also high in anticarcinogenic compounds.
  • When added to salt, powder from rutabaga seeds is a folk remedy for cancer.
Pests/Diseases
  • Using floating row covers for the first few weeks will eliminate most insect pests.
Rutabaga Pests and Diseases
Pest/DiseaseTypeSymptomsControl/Prevention
AphidsInsectMisshapen/yellow leaves: sticky “honeydew” (excrement); sooty, black moldGrow companion plants; knock off with water spray; apply insecticidal soap; put banana or orange peels around plants; wipe leaves with a 1 to 2 percent solution of dish soap (no additives) and water every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks; add native plants to invite beneficial insects
Black rotBacteriaYellow, V-shape areas on leaf edges that brown and progress toward leaf center; leaves eventually collapse; stem cross sections reveal blackened veinsDestroy infected plants; choose resistant varieties; provide good drainage; remove plant debris; rotate crops
Cabbage root maggotsInsectWilted/stunted plants; off-color leaves; larvae feeding on rootsUse collars around seedling stems; monitor adults with yellow sticky traps; use row covers; destroy crop residue; till soil in fall; rotate crops
ClubrootFungusWilted/stunted plants; yellow leaves; roots appear swollen/distortedDestroy infected plants; solarize soil; maintain soil pH of around 7.2; disinfect tools; rotate crops
Flea beetlesInsectNumerous tiny holes in leavesUse row covers; mulch heavily; add native plants to invite beneficial insects
Root-knot nematodesNematodeRoots “knotty” or galled; plants stunted/yellow/wilted; roots forked/pimpledDestroy crop residue, including roots; choose resistant varieties; solarize soil; add aged manure/compost; disinfect tools; till in autumn; rotate crops
White rustFungusChalk-white blisters mainly on leaf undersides; small, yellow-green spots or blisters, sometimes in circular arrangement, on upper leaf surfaces; possible distortion or gallsDestroy infected plants; choose resistant varieties; weed; destroy crop residue; rotate crops
WirewormsInsectSeeds hollowed; seedlings severed; stunting/wilting; roots eaten/boredTrap by digging 2- to 4-inch-deep holes every 3 to 10 feet, fill with mix of germinating beans/corn/peas or potato sections as bait, cover with soil or a board, in 1 week uncover and kill collected wireworms; sow seeds in warm soil for quick germination; provide good drainage; remove plant debris; rotate crops
Recipes
Rutabaga Soup
Rutabaga and Potato Purée
Cooking Notes

A good roast or soups are the most common ways to eat rutabagas or swedes. Many folks also mash rutabaga, often with potatoes or sweet potatoes or even carrots. Just cut one peeled rutabaga in cubes and add two tablespoons butter and milk, and season with salt and pepper.

For a more interesting dish, try this casserole common in some Scandinavian countries. Take the above mashed rutabaga, mix in couple tablespoons of molasses, a half teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 beaten egg, and 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs. Bake in a casserole dish at 350° for 30 minutes.

Rutabaga mixes well with fruits such as apple and pear and raisin. Try cooking the rutabaga (cut into cubes) until fork-tender. Add grated or thinly-sliced apples, some sugar, cloves, salt, and cinnamon sticks. Throw in some raisons too, remove the cinnamon sticks, and serve.

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Comments

Betty Hewett (not verified)

1 year 4 months ago

When I ask the garden center for rutabaga seed, it seems I always get turnip seed. I want the variety with the sweet yellow flesh. What variety should I ask for ?

Yvonne Carpenter (not verified)

1 year 8 months ago

Your article could use a spell checker :)
Thank you for the info!

Wren (not verified)

1 year 11 months ago

I'm looking to grow rutabaga for the first time this year. I know the time for planting it is soon, but I'm a bit concerned about the hot temperatures in my area--we'll be over 90 for the next two months or so. If I mulch the rutabaga deeply, will that protect it enough to keep it from bolting during our heat waves? Thanks so much.