DIY Network

The Rundown on Rutabaga The Rundown on Rutabaga From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-118

Though rutabaga isn't one of the most commonly grown vegetables, growing it is easy -- just follow these basic guidelines:

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	Rutabaga makes an interesting addition to almost any garden!
	Don't forget to fertilize!
	Look at the color of the rutabaga flesh to make sure your crop is getting the nutrients it needs ....
	Get on a regular watering schedule ... and stick to it!
	Compost tea: a tasty treat ... for rutabagas.

• Rutabagas are often confused with turnips because they're both root vegetables and they have a similar shape. Turnips are in the same family but they’re much smaller and have a stronger flavor. Rutabagas are grown because they store well over the winter and have a mellow flavor. Rutabagas are also called Swedish Turnips or "Swedes" since they’re popular in Sweden and they look like a very large turnip. They're also a main crop in other parts of northern Europe, Canada and Great Britain. In the United States they're found mostly in northern climates.

• The variety of rutabaga that grows here is the American purple top. It grows best in the fall where the seeds can germinate while the soil is still warm and the flesh can mature as the ground cools off. It likes soil that's loose, fertile and slightly alkaline. Add compost and topsoil to the bed to make the soil more fertile. If you live in an area where the soil is more acidic, you might need to add lime to your rutabaga bed. It's best to do this a few months in advance so that it has time to work its way into the soil.

• Rutabagas develop slowly over several months and need food available all season. Add a half of a cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer to the 6'x3' rutabaga bed to give the seeds some extra nutrients. The first number on the fertilizer ratio is for Nitrogen, and it's lower than the rest. Rutabagas need higher levels of Phosphorus and Potassium. Too much nitrogen will make the rutabagas have lots of leaves but small roots. Mix the fertilizer with a garden fork and then smooth the bed with a metal rake.

• You can tell if your crop had the nutrients it needed by looking at the color of the flesh. The best rutabagas have a consistent yellow color on the inside when you cut into them.

• The rows for the rutabagas need to be a little farther apart than the rows for the kale. Rutabagas grow large, round softball-size roots that tend to heave out of the ground as they grow. The seeds have to be far enough apart that the rutabagas won't push each other out of the ground. Space the rows about 10 inches apart and leave a narrow valley between them. You can form the rows with your hands if you have a small bed or you can use a hoe for a larger area. The important thing is that you don’t pack the dirt down too much as you make the rows, the soil needs to be loose.

• Once the rows are formed start planting the seeds. Space the seeds about 8 inches apart so they will have plenty of room to grow. Gently press the seeds into the dirt and covered them with loose soil. The seed packet says they will germinate in about 3 to 5 days. The soil has to be warm and moist for them to sprout. If there are seeds that don't germinate you can add additional seeds to the rows so that you get a full harvest. Be careful to leave the new plants undisturbed if you decide to re-seed. Seedlings are fragile and don’t like to be handled or moved.

• To give the seeds the moisture they need to come up, thoroughly soak the rows using a mister attachment on the end of the water hose. Seeds need continual moisture so keep misting them every day for at least a week. After that, water them every other day and gradual taper off until they're getting watered once a week. If you live in a dry climate you may have to water at least once a day, maybe more. If you live in a wet climate, check the soil for moisture before you water. Seedlings can have just as many problems if you water them too much as they do if you water them too little.

• Once the soil is wet, add a layer of pine mulch. This will keep the seeds from getting too hot and it will hold the moisture in. You can re-water to get the mulch wet if it seems dry. You don't want dry mulch to wick the water away from your new seeds. As the plants grow, continue to add mulch to make it thicker and more protective of the new rutabagas.

• Rutabagas can stay in the ground through the winter if they're well protected. Mulch that's keeping them cool now will actually keep them warm later on. Farmers used to grow rutabagas to feed their livestock. The cows and goats would eat the tops off of the plants and then the farmer would dry and mill the roots as winter feed.

• Rutabagas do well with doses of compost tea. Compost tea is made by mixing 1 part compost or humus to 4 parts water. The tea takes a few days to dissolve and then it can be used as an organic liquid fertilizer. It works like chemical liquid fertilizers in that it goes right into the plants systems where it can be quickly and easily absorbed.

• Pour the compost tea over the new rutabaga seedlings as well as the new kale seedlings. Within a few days you will notice an increase in growth. You can use compost tea on almost any plant in your garden. Some record-breaking pumpkins and tomatoes have been grown using compost tea as the main nutrient supply. Like any fertilizer, it's best to use small amounts at a time. You can re-water your plants with compost tea every few weeks to keep them growing all season long.