Swede is a slow, unfussy crop that quietly takes up a corner of the bed all summer and rewards you with a store of dense, sweet roots through winter.
Swede takes most of the growing season to bulk up, sown in early summer for a winter harvest, and needs little attention beyond watering in between. Left in an undisturbed, well-mulched bed, the roots store just as well in the ground as they would pulled and kept in a shed.
Sowing & growing calendar
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | Sow in May | Sow in June | ||||||||||
| Harvest | Harvest in January | Harvest in February | Harvest in October | Harvest in November | Harvest in December | |||||||
| Protect | Protect in May | Protect in June | Protect in July |
Care details
- Sow May – June
Sow direct, thinning seedlings to give each plant room to swell.
- Protect May – July
Cover young plants against flea beetle while leaves are still soft.
- Harvest October – February
Lift as needed from autumn — flavour improves after the first frost.
Growing tips & common problems
- Sow a little later than turnips — an early, warm start tends to push swede toward bolting rather than bulking up.
- Keep it watered through dry spells; a check in growth from drought produces woody, split roots.
- There's no need to lift the whole crop at once — roots store perfectly well left in the ground and can be pulled through winter as needed.
Grows well with
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