Rutabaga Donation Tracker

Quick Links: How & Where to Grow | Temperature | How to Care For | Harvest Signs | Harvesting | Pests | Companions | Flavor | Preservation | Recipes | Michigan Tips | Fun Facts

🌱 How & Where to Grow Rutabagas:

• Direct sow seeds ½ inch deep mid-June to mid-July when soil is 40°F+ for fall harvest (90-100 days).
• Space seeds 4-6 inches apart in rows 18-24 inches apart.
• Thin seedlings to 6-8 inches when they reach 4 inches tall – use thinnings in salads for a peppery kick!
• Sunlight: Full sun (6-8 hours of direct sunlight), tolerates light shade.
• Soil Type: Rutabagas prefer deep, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.
• Soil Amendment: Work in 2-3 inches of compost before planting to improve heavy clay soils and ensure proper root development

Unlike turnips, rutabagas are typically grown as a single fall crop due to their long maturity time.

🌡️ Temperature Guidance:

Single planting season. Plant 90-100 days before first hard frost.

• Plant when soil temperature reaches 40°F or higher.
• Optimal growing: 50-65°F.
• Rutabagas need a long, cool growing season – they won’t mature properly in hot weather.
• They can withstand light frosts and actually develop better flavor after exposure to cold.

In Michigan, the sweet spot for planting is mid-June through mid-July for a perfect fall harvest!

💧 How to Care for:

• Consistent Moisture: Maintain even soil moisture throughout the growing season.
• Watering: Provide 1-1.5 inches of water weekly, more during dry spells.
• Mulch: Apply 2-3 inches of organic mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Fertilizer: Side-dress with compost or balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) midway through growth.
• Boron: Critical for rutabagas – deficiency causes brown heart. Apply borax if soil test shows deficiency.

📏 Harvest Signs:

Softball-sized (3-4 inches). Best after frost. Can stay until hard freeze.

• Rutabagas are sweetest after several light frosts have converted starches to sugars.
• The purple shoulders will be clearly visible above the soil line when ready.
• Unlike turnips, rutabagas can grow larger without becoming woody – up to 5-6 inches is fine.

Don’t rush the harvest – rutabagas improve in flavor the longer they stay in cool soil!

🧺 Harvesting:

Use spading fork – don’t pull. Remove tops immediately.

• Always dig carefully as rutabagas grow deep and can break if pulled.
• Harvest on a dry day when soil isn’t muddy for easier cleaning.
• Cut tops to within 1 inch of the crown immediately to prevent moisture loss.
• Leave a few in the ground – they can survive into December with heavy mulch!

🪲 Michigan Pests:

Brown heart (boron deficiency), root maggots, club root (rotate crops).

• Brown heart creates water-soaked brown areas in the center – prevent with boron applications.
• Root maggots are the most serious pest – use row covers and rotate away from brassica areas.
• Club root causes swollen, distorted roots – maintain soil pH above 6.2 and rotate crops for 7 years.
• Flea beetles may attack young plants but are less problematic than with turnips.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Companions:

Good with peas, onions.

• Avoid other brassicas.
• Rutabagas benefit from nitrogen-fixing peas planted earlier in the season.
• Onions and garlic help repel root maggots and other pests.
• Nasturtiums planted nearby act as trap crops for aphids.
• Never follow or plant near cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, or other brassicas.

🍴 Flavor:

Sweet, earthy, yellow flesh. Milder than turnips after frost.

• Raw rutabagas have a crisp texture with a slightly bitter, cabbage-like flavor.
• Cooked rutabagas become sweet and buttery, especially after frost exposure.
• The yellow-orange flesh indicates higher beta-carotene content than turnips.
• Texture is denser and less watery than turnips, making them perfect for mashing.
• The sweetness intensifies with storage, making winter rutabagas a treat!

🫙 Preservation:

Excellent storage – 4-6 months at 32-40°F. Freeze blanched cubes.

• Root cellar storage is ideal – layer in damp sand or sawdust at 32-40°F with 90-95% humidity.
• Can store in perforated plastic bags in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
• Wax coating (like store-bought) helps prevent moisture loss during storage.
• Blanch cubed rutabagas for 3 minutes before freezing.
• Dehydrate thin slices for rutabaga chips.
• Pickle young rutabagas with mustard seeds and turmeric.

🧑🏽‍🍳 Recipes:

Mashed rutabagas, rutabaga gratin, Swedish rotmos.

• Classic mashed rutabagas with butter and cream rival any potato dish!
• Try rutabaga “hash browns” – grate and pan-fry until crispy.
• Swedish rotmos combines rutabagas with potatoes and carrots for traditional comfort food.
• Roasted rutabaga wedges with maple syrup and rosemary are addictive.
• Add cubed rutabagas to hearty winter stews and pot roasts.

✋🏼 Michigan Tips:

• Plant after consistent 50°F soil.
• Excellent for cool fall weather.
• Time planting carefully – rutabagas need 90-100 days, so count back from your first hard frost.
• Michigan’s long, cool falls are perfect for developing sweet, large rutabagas.
• Consider succession planting 2 weeks apart in June for extended harvest.
• Heavy clay soils may need raised beds for proper root development.

❄️ Overwintering:

• Rutabagas can survive in the ground through early winter with proper protection.
• Apply 6-12 inches of straw mulch after the ground starts to freeze.
• Cover with row cover or old blankets for additional insulation.
• Mark rows with tall stakes before snow cover.
• Harvest on mild days when soil thaws slightly.
• In zone 6b, they may survive all winter with heavy protection.

🧠 Fun Facts:

• Cross between turnips and cabbage.
• Called “swede” in many countries.
• Rutabagas were developed in the 17th century, possibly in Bohemia or Scandinavia.
• The name comes from Swedish “rotabagge” meaning “root ram.”
• During World War I, rutabagas became a last-resort food in Germany, leading to the winter of 1916-17 being called “Steckrübenwinter” (rutabaga winter).
• They contain more vitamin C than oranges when fresh!
• The world record rutabaga weighed 85 pounds 12 ounces, grown in Alaska.
• Michigan’s Swedish and Finnish immigrants brought rutabaga traditions that still influence local cuisine today.