Swede Seeds

Swedes are a hardy, cool-season root vegetable with sweet, nutty flesh—perfect for roasting, mashing, or adding to soups and stews. Easy to grow, they store well in the ground and thrive in colder climates, making them a reliable and flavourful winter staple.

Growing Notes

How to Grow Swede

The essential guide to growing swede from seed (Brassica napus); with notes on germination, cultivation, harvest and even kitchen uses. Also known as rutabaga or Swedish turnip.

Meet the Swede Family:

Purple-top yellow-flesh – classic market type, purple shoulders, golden interior, sweet-nutty flavour that roasts or mashes to a buttery finish. See Aspen Purple Top.
Green-top white-flesh – paler skin, milder taste; perfect grated raw into salads or for creamy gratins where its colour stays light.
All-yellow heirlooms – skin and flesh both deep orange, with richer carrot-like sweetness; shine in soups, pasties, rival mashed potato and winter purées. See Tasmanian Butter Swede.

Seeds per gram: 300 – 400 seeds

Optimal germination: 16 – 28 °C; emergence in 7 – 14 days

Feed requirements:

Moderate.
Spread 2-3 cm of of compost plus a light dusting of balanced organic fertiliser across the bed and dig/fork in.
Excess nitrogen gives big tops and woody roots.

Growing Notes:

Climate & timing

Sow mid-summer to early autumn for harvest through winter–spring (about 90 days to maturity).
In cool districts a late-spring sowing also works for early autumn eating.

Sowing & spacing

Direct-sow 5-8 mm deep.
Thin once 4 true leaves to 20-30 cm between plants in rows 30–50 cm apart; crowded seedlings stay small.
Swedes like slightly acidic soil (pH 6–7) and steady moisture.

Care

Mulch to maintain even soil humidity—irregular watering causes splits.
Thinning to 20-30 cm between plants in rows is essential to prevent small roots.
A one-off boron drench (1 Tbsp borax in 5 L water) at 5 cm tall prevents brown hollows caused by deficiency.

Common Problems:

Cabbage Moth - Net young rows against cabbage moth; spray Bt (Dipel) at first sign of larvae.
Flea beetles & aphids – exclude with fine mesh; spray eco-oil if needed.
Powdery mildew or downy leaf spots – improve airflow, water at soil level. Remove old leaves.

Harvesting & Storage:

Roots taste sweetest after a couple of frosts.
Roots store well in the ground through winter, so pull as required.
Lift the lot when days lengthen and warmth returns.
Loosen soil with a fork, lift by the crown, trim leaves to 2 cm.
Store in fridge.

Enjoy swedes mashed with butter and white pepper, cubed in casseroles or grated fresh for a crunchy twist—one seed delivers a whole season of versatile winter comfort food.