How to grow rutabaga

Brassica napus (Napobrassica) · Brassicaceae · Vegetable

Rutabaga is a cool-season vegetable in the Brassicaceae family, almost always sown straight into the ground where it will grow. It wants full sun, though it tolerates a little afternoon shade in hot regions and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 90–100 days. It is one of the toughest crops here, standing through hard frost and often improving for it.

Grower’s note: A long-season fall root: sow in early-to-mid summer so the bulk of its growth happens in cool weather. Frost sweetens it and it stores for months in a cold, humid place.

Sowing

Sow about 0.5″ deep, into soil between 45–85°F — germination is quickest near 70°F. It comes up fast (4–10 days). It does not transplant well, so sow it in its final position rather than starting it in pots.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 8″ along the row with roughly 18″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 4 per square foot. Allow at least 15″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 12″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

As a cool-season crop, rutabaga does its best growing in the mild weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. A second sowing in late summer, timed to mature as the weather cools, is usually the better crop of the year — and light frost only sweetens it.

Quick facts

When to plant rutabaga

Companions

Common problems

Pests: flea beetle, cabbage root maggot, aphids.

Diseases & disorders: clubroot, downy mildew.

Same family (Brassicaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.