Swede
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Also called rutabaga, it’s the swollen root that’s mostly used – boiled, roasted or steamed, although the young leaves are also edible.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Full sun to part shade. Allow soil to slightly dry out between watering.
Soil:
Loose, well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.
How to start: SEED: Sow direct in the ground or in punnets into seed-raising mix. Sow 10mm deep, 20cm apart, in rows 50cm apart. Keep moist. Germinates in 4-10 days. SEEDLING: Plant in the ground when seedlings are big enough to handle easily. Space them 20cm apart, in rows 50cm apart. Water in and mulch with straw.
How to grow: Keep moist and mulch along the rows with straw. Apply seaweed solution montly. Thin to 20cm.
When to harvest: Start harvesting from 12 weeks when they're large enough to eat. Harvest as required.
Troubleshooting:
Aphids; cabbage white butterfly; cabbage moth
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