How to grow swedes

Swedes are hardy root vegetables, harvested in autumn and winter. They’re closely related to turnips and outwardly similar, but usually have yellow flesh and a stronger, sweeter flavour.

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Swedes are harvested from early autumn and can be lifted as needed or stored over winter

When cooked, they have a sweet, nutty flavour and creamy, yellow flesh. Swedes are usually served mashed with butter or added to soups, stews and other hearty winter dishes. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre.

There are numerous varieties of swede to choose from, forming large, rounded roots, usually with a purple top and creamy-white base, and pale yellow flesh. Sowing times vary, so check seed packets. Some varieties keep better than others, so if you’re planning on harvesting right through winter, choose one that won’t turn woody and will store well. Many varieties have good resistance to club root and powdery mildew.

Varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) performed well in trials, so are always reliable choices – see our list of AGM fruit and veg and our Recommended Varieties below. You can also see many crops, including swedes and other brassicas, in the veg plots at the RHS gardens, so do visit to explore how they’re grown, compare varieties and get useful tips and inspiration.

Swedes grow best in an open, sunny site with moist but free-draining, fertile soil. Dig in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure, ideally well ahead of sowing. If your soil is acidic, apply lime to raise the pH – if you're unsure if lime is needed, do a simple soil pH test.

To prepare the soil, weed thoroughly and remove any large stones. Then firm the soil by treading it down in a shuffling motion, before raking the surface level. Alternatively, if you're practicing no-dig, mulch the soil with organic matter ahead of sowing directly into the mulch.

Swedes can be sown outdoors from late spring to early summer. Alternatively, you can start them off indoors to get a head start, then transplant them outside after a few weeks. Swedes are brassicas, so should be grown with their cabbage relatives in crop rotations, which helps to avoid a build-up of insects and diseases in the soil. If you sow several small batches a few weeks apart, you can spread your harvests over a longer period. Swedes aren’t suitable for growing to full size in containers, but can be grown in containers as a quick crop of baby veg.

Swedes are a long-term crop, taking up to six months to mature. Weed around them regularly, especially when the plants are young, and provide plenty of moisture to help the roots swell.

Swedes are very versatile and can be harvested at whatever size you prefer – as baby veg after only a few weeks, as young roots about 5cm (2in) in diameter or, more usually, when 10–15cm (4–6in) across. They can also be left to grow slightly larger, as long as you choose a variety that doesn’t turn woody.

Swedes are usually ready to harvest from early autumn onwards, but you can leave them in the ground into winter. They’re particularly valued as a winter crop, when little else is available on the veg plot. Although swedes are hardy, it’s best to cover them with straw, cloches or plastic-free fleece before winter. In cold regions or where soil sits wet over winter, lift the roots in late autumn and store them in containers of moist sand or peat-free potting compost in a frost-free shed or garage. See our guide to storing root veg.

Swedes need plenty of water to grow well and shouldn’t be allowed to dry out, as the roots can split or turn bitter, and the leaves may develop powdery mildew. As swedes are brassicas, they’re susceptible to various diseases and insects that affect the cabbage family. Disease-resistant varieties are available, and you can cover the crop with insect-proof mesh. Young swede plants are also vulnerable to slugs and snails. For more on tackling these and other issues, see Common problems below.