🥔 Swede

Swede is a hardy, undemanding winter root that is ideal for the cold part of the year when little else is cropping. The flesh is sweet and golden, a lot more flavoursome when freshly grown, and it stands in the ground from October to March.

It belongs to the brassica family, so it shares cabbage’s problems, such as clubroot and flea beetle, and it likes a firm, moist soil that is not too acidic. A sowing in early summer is all you need, making swede one of the lowest-effort crops for a medium or large plot.

Varieties to try

Marian (good mildew resistance)Tweed (smooth, uniform roots)Gowrie (traditional heavy cropper)Best of All (reliable and hardy)

Sow in late May to June, directly where plants will grow, in a sunny site with firm, fertile, moisture-retentive soil that has been limed if it is acidic. Sow thinly in shallow drills 1–2 cm deep and 38 cm apart. Later sowings are less prone to mildew and flea beetle but will not reach full size, so do not leave sowing past mid-June.

Seedlings emerge in a week to ten days. Thin them in two stages, first to 10 cm and later to 23 cm apart, so the final plants have room to swell. A prepared bed raked to a fine tilth gives the most even germination.

Top tips

• Sow in late May to mid-June, not later.
• Lime acidic soils to guard against clubroot.
• Firm the seedbed by treading before sowing.
• Cover with fine mesh to protect from flea beetle.

Keep the bed weeded and water in dry weather, because irregular moisture causes splitting, woody roots and brown heart (a boron deficiency). A mulch after thinning conserves moisture. Swedes need little feeding on reasonably fertile soil, and too much nitrogen gives leafy plants with small roots.

Clubroot is the serious disease, causing swollen, distorted roots, and it lives in the soil for many years, so lime the soil and rotate brassicas. Flea beetle on seedlings, caterpillars on the leaves and powdery mildew on older ones are the other likely troubles. Mildew-resistant varieties and watering well help most.

Top tips

• Lime acidic soil to a pH of 6.5–7 before sowing.
• Water steadily to avoid split and woody roots.
• Rotate brassicas on a four-year plan.
• Net against pigeons and cabbage white caterpillars.

Watch out for

ClubrootFlea beetlePowdery mildewCabbage root fly

Roots are ready from October, when they are about the size of a tennis ball, although they can grow larger without becoming woody. Frosts improve the flavour, so there is no hurry. Lift with a fork, twist off the leaves and trim the roots, taking care not to damage the skin.

Swedes will stand in the ground until March in most areas and are lifted as needed. In hard winters, cover rows with straw or fleece to keep the soil workable. Lift any remaining roots before spring regrowth turns them hard and fibrous.

Top tips

• Harvest after the first frost for sweeter roots.
• Lift as needed through winter.
• Use straw or fleece in severe frost.
• Do not leave them in the ground after March.

Boil and mash swede with butter and black pepper, or with carrots for a classic ‘neeps’ dish. It roasts beautifully, goes into stews, soups and pasties, and can be grated raw into slaws when young. Cubed swede is a good low-carbohydrate alternative to potatoes in curries.

Lifted roots store for several weeks in a cool, airy place, or for months layered in dry sand in a frost-free shed, though they are best left in the ground until needed. Peel thickly, as the skin is tough and waxy. Cubed and blanched for three minutes, swede freezes well.

Top tips

• Peel thickly to remove the tough outer layer.
• Roast cubes in oil with rosemary at 200°C.
• Blanch for three minutes before freezing.
• Mash with butter and plenty of black pepper.