Swedes........

[Snadger]

Not the Sven Goran Erikasson type. The type called snadgers around these parts

I haven't had a great deal of success with swedes, sowing them indoors in modules to plant out and also direct sowing. They've been Ok but not great.
I have just been listening to a local Gardeners Question time on the radio where they seemed to advocate sowing them in modules NOW!

Anybody sown swedes this early and what were the results?

[Scoot]

I've seen video's online with people saying the same thing, sow them in modules first and then transplant them.

Not really sure on when to sow them, i havn't read the back of the packet yet (Swede Marian from Mr Fothergill's) but I'm sure it's between March and July. I'll probably do a couple of sowing's. A Dozen in March and see how they get on and then another Dozen in June. It all depends on space really.

[Thelma Sanders]

Sow now OMG! but I suppose your weather is cooler than 'down here'
I sow my swede in late April in tall paper pots and plant out, pot & all, when they have a few leaves -
seems to work well for me
I put a small handful of chicken manure pellets in the planting hole which also seems to make a difference on my soil.

[Alison]

I normally sow direct in early May and get a reasonable crop of smallish to medium swedes (don't want them too big, there's only 2 of us). Last year couldn't get to the plot when I normally sow so did them in modules and planted out as small plants. Obviously no thinning then required. To be honest they're smaller than average this year so will be direct sowing again this year. Could have been the rubbish summer though.

[mothhawk]

It's not a crop I've ever grown, but I remember my grandfather telling me they need to be in full leaf by the longest day (21st June) to get the biggest roots. He sowed his the last week of April or first week of May.
Sowing them now seems rather early, but I suppose it depends when you want to harvest them, must take about 6 months growing don't they?

[Greenleaves]

About once every five years in get a decent return for the space they take up, this year they are very poor, never sown in modules but might give it a bash

[sparrow100]

If I sow mine direct the slugs mow them off in a heartbeat. After advice I sow in modules in April/May and plant out in June/July. This has been the first time I have anything approaching a decent swede. Aren't light levels a bit low to sow now? I know I'd struggle to give them anything like decent conditions for growing on.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I always sow mine direct and on the flat. They are hungry feeders so they get a generous feed of granular fertiliser. I've never been really successful with them till this year but I didn't do anything different

[Snadger]

Yep, for some reason they are hitty/missy for me. One of the plot holders on our allotment site always grows mahoosive swedes so I might have to get some growing tips. There are usually fields full of really good swedes grown locally which finish up as sheep fodder in the winter.The farmers never seem to mollycuddle them and they grow like weeds!

[Bren In Pots]

I sow mine into newspaper pots I don't really have much success with them so I just sow a few to fill in any gaps in my beds.

[Sharpy]

This years gone, swedes although a good size were bitter when mashed. The years before were spot on. Always have sown at the same time. Plus the soil and what i add to it remains the same in all my beds(raised). I wont give up on them as they are in my top 3 of veg.

[Aberdeenplotter]

bittermess should go once the frost gets to them

[Sharpy]

Although i sowed them in April and cropped around Sept ?. That was around the same the year before.

[Zelenina]

I really want to grow swedes because I got a taste for them when I lived in Ireland (where they're called turnips) and I miss them now. It's very hard to get them here. I only ever saw them once at a farmer's market out in the country, and I practically had to fight a woman for the last one.

I have seen swede seeds here, but only one variety called Dalibor. I think they are grown more in cooler parts of Slovakia and the Czech republic. The summers might be too hot in my area, but I'm going to try anyway. I have seeds of several varieties in my stash, but I'm not sure when is the best time to plant them here. I guess it'll have to be trial and error.

[Alison]

Although i sowed them in April and cropped around Sept ?. That was around the same the year before.

They're really more of a winter cropping plant as they are so hardy. If I want something similar in summer / autumn I have a turnip.