Helenor Rutabaga Seed

Scientific name

Brassica napus

Soil

Give rutabagas loose, free-draining ground with plenty of phosphorus and potash; aim for a pH between 6.4 and 6.8.

Timing

Most growers want roots for fall and winter, so sow from late spring into early summer, roughly 90 days ahead of the planned harvest.

Direct sowing

Drop seed 3/8" deep at roughly half a dozen per foot, leaving 18–24" between rows. Thin seedlings so they stand 6" apart.

Disease

Soft brown patches inside a root mean the soil is short of boron; add good compost or a little agricultural borax. Watch for black leg, black rot and turnip mosaic virus. Rotate away from other cabbage-family crops, pull sick plants, and never let any survive the winter.

Insect pests

Lay row cover right at planting to keep out flea beetles and root maggots.

Harvest and storage

Lift roots once they have had two or more hard frosts and trim off the tops. Washed or unwashed, they keep up to 6 months near freezing, 0°C (32°F), with humidity around 95%. For market display, roots are sometimes coated in paraffin wax so they stay firm.

Seed size

Rutabaga seed is not size-sorted unless the description says so.

Packet

100 seeds.

Seeds per lb.

About 221,550 on average.