Swedes

Can anyone give any hints or tips on growing swedes?

 

wait til march then make sucessional sowing rt thru to august.. they are a good winter root veg, the soil shouls be raked to a tilth , then cut out a half inch V groove, cover and water lightly unless rain is forecast, as it is a tap root you can t transplant so seeds should be sown thinly as poss, 1" apart would be ideal imo

 

Could I start them of in pots?

 

If you want to try pots to start them, remember what Lady Gardener says about tap roots. Your best bet would be to use long fibre pots and then plant the pot thus avoiding any root disturbance. Make sure the rim of the pot is planted just below soil level as the fibre can act as a wick and evaporate moisture from around the immature root.
It might be less trouble to invest in a few cloches and just sow outdoors and cover your "early" swedes to get them off to a flying start.

 

I have tried for several years to grown swede in pots with absolutley no success. I also tried growing them in the ground, again with no success. I guess either they don't grown well in pots or my type of garden soil or I am just unlucky.

 

What goes wrong with them dabbit?
I've not grown them for quite a while now, dont think I would bother tring to grow them in pots, cant see any advantage.
Seem to remember that you shouldn't sow them too early, always used to be classed as a winter vegtable, a bit like parsnip, left in the ground in the frost until you want them.
Late May or June I think I used to sow.

 

They grow and shape OK but the size is laughable they simply are too small...I guess they aren't meant for pots, I know some veg don't grow so well in containers and this must be one

 

I beleive that moisture is the key to growing swede successfully,they dislike dry conditions.
Keeping the soil well watered during the growing season should improve matters.

 

we used to grow swedes for cattle feed... so yield was a significant factor . as far as i remember, the best ive ever seen were on the west coast of a remote scotish island, in February,, twenty yards from sea shore, with a blast of cold air from the west, maybe sand, acid and salt are involved, im sure farmers get better yields than growers

[ 01. March 2006, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: The Lady Gardener ]

 

Hi gardening newby,
Swedes need a growing season of up to 26 weeks to mature fully.
sow IN SITU from early to late spring in rows 15" apart thinning until they are about 9" apart.
keep beds weed free, if conditions are dry, water well.
Swedes generally mature in autumn and, being hardy, may be left in the ground until the end of the year, when they should be lifted carefully to prevent them from becoming woody.
store in wooden boxes if poss. with straw between for protection.
happy eating

 

Not that this has anything to do with growing them but try mixing olive oil, honey, fresh ginger and garlic in a tray then rolling bits of swede (plus other stuff) in the mixture and cooking them in the oven for 45 minutes shaking once.

The tastiest veg in the world in my mind.

 

Salivating at the thought Sawfish!
Thanks.