Rutabagas are a cross between a turnip and a cabbage, and are not much different in terms of growing and planting from turnips. The only difference in reality is that rutabagas usually take four weeks longer to grow than turnips or cabbages do. If you want to learn how to grow rutabagas, keep reading and follow our easy gardening-how-to guide!
How to Grow Rutabagas – A Gardening Guide
Earlier when showed you how to grow turnips, and like we mentioned above, rutabagas are really not that much different. The differences are that rutabagas' roots are larger, firmer, and rounder, and the leaves are smoother.
When you're ready to plant rutabagas, do so about 100 days before the first frost in late fall. Prepare your soil as you would for any vegetable garden, by raking away dirt, rocks, and leaves.
Planting Rutabaga:
- Throw your seeds down into prepared (raked) soil and lightly rake over it.
- Plant anywhere from 3-20 seeds in a row at a depth of about half an inch.
- Space each row 1-2 feet apart.
- Water the seeds to start germination.
- Once seedlings appear, thin them to about 6 inches apart and don't throw away the cuttings! The thinned greens can actually be eaten as they're quite delicious!
Care:
- Since rutabagas are a root vegetable, they don't require a lot of care, especially in their dormant season.
- Just make sure to give your seedlings plenty of water, and the rest will take care of itself!
Harvesting Rutabaga:
- Harvest the rutabagas when they are tender and mild, and are at a medium size.
- The ready-to-be-harvested rutabagas should be about 3-5 inches in diameter.
Happy Planting!
