key growing information

Growing Rutabaga (Swede) From Seed

How to grow rutabaga: soil nutrients and pH, timing for fall harvest, spacing, boron deficiency and diseases, pest protection, storage and seeding rates.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Rutabaga - Key Growing Information

Freshly harvested rutabaga roots to demonstrate scale, alongside a rutabaga plant in the field.

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Brassica napus

CULTURE:

Rutabagas like well-drained soil rich in potash and phosphorus, with a pH of 6.4–6.8. For the usual fall and winter harvest, sow in late spring or early summer, about 90 days before you want to harvest. Plant 3/8" deep at 6 seeds per foot in rows 18–24" apart, thinning to 6".

DISEASES:

Soft brown spots inside the root point to boron deficiency, which good compost or agricultural borax corrects. Diseases include black leg, black rot and turnip mosaic virus. Rotate crops as with all brassicas, remove infected plants, and don't let any survive the winter to infect the next crop.

INSECT PESTS:

Keep cabbage root maggots and flea beetles off with floating row covers put on at planting.

HARVEST AND STORAGE:

After at least two hard frosts, cut the tops and store roots washed or unwashed at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity for up to 6 months. Commercial roots are often waxed (dipped clean in paraffin) before delivery so they don't dry out on store shelves.

AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:

At 6 seeds per foot in 24" rows: 1,000 seeds sow about 166', 1 oz. about 1,400', and roughly 131,000 seeds or 14¼ oz. per acre.

SIZED SEEDS:

"Sized" seed has been sorted to a uniform size, which makes spacing with mechanical seeders more accurate and germination more even. Rutabaga seed is unsized unless the description says otherwise.

SEED SPECS:

SEEDS/LB.: about 168,700 on average.

PACKET:

100 seeds per packet, enough for about 16'.