Rutabaga (Brassica napus (Napobrassica Group)) — Plotwright

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Rutabaga

Habit (mature) · Saucemaster / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Rutabaga

Brassica napus (Napobrassica Group)

A cool-weather root vegetable of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to Scandinavia and Finland and also called swede, Swedish turnip, or yellow turnip. NC State Extension describes a slow-growing, spreading biennial grown as an annual that forms a swollen edible root best harvested at 3-5 inches across, topped by deep blue-green, deeply lobed leaves growing close to the ground. It wants full sun, good drainage, and a steady inch of water a week — drought stress turns the root woody and bitter. Heat-intolerant, it is grown for a fall or early-winter harvest and reaches maturity in roughly 90-120 days.

Review: Source-backed

Edible

Light

Full sun

Water

Consistent moisture

Mature size

12-24" tall · 8" apart

Hardy in zones

Annual; NC State lists a cool-weather biennial grown as an annual

Summer heat range

Cool-Mild

cool to mild summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

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It is heat intolerant: sow 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost or after summer heat dissipates for a fall or early-winter harvest, because warmth pushes the crop and steady cool conditions give the best roots.

Climate notes

Cold hardiness

This plant is grown as an annual; hardiness zones don't apply.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

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What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun

Water

Consistent moisture

Spacing

8"

Habit

Spreading, slow-growing cool-weather biennial root crop grown as an annual

Care tips

•

Direct-sow 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost or after summer heat fades for a fall harvest — rutabaga is heat intolerant.

•

Keep an even inch of water a week; drought stress makes the root woody and bitter (NC State Extension).

•

Harvest the root at 3-5 inches in diameter for the best eating, before it grows oversized and tough.

Lifecycle

Planting

A cool-weather biennial grown as an annual. NC State Extension says to sow seed directly in the garden 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date, or after summer heat has dissipated for a fall or early-winter harvest, in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun) on well-drained loam, silt, or sand at acid-to-neutral pH. Spacing is under 12 inches; the crop takes 90 to 120 days to mature.

Transplanting

Rutabaga is a root crop normally direct-sown rather than transplanted; thin seedlings to stand about 8 inches apart so each plant can swell a full root. Disturbing the developing taproot is best avoided, so sowing in place is preferred.

Early growth

Keep plants steadily watered at about 1 inch per week — NC State Extension lists rutabaga as drought intolerant, and drought stress makes the root woody and bitter-tasting. Watch the deep blue-green foliage for slugs, aphids, cutworms, looper caterpillars, and flea beetles; a row cover helps protect the greens and keeps moths from laying eggs.

Maturity

The plant grows slowly to about 1-2 feet tall and 8-12 inches wide, forming a swollen root that eats best at 3-5 inches in diameter; the greens can be picked once they reach about 4 inches tall. Harvest the root in fall or early winter when the cool-season crop finishes, before it grows oversized and tough.

Propagation

Grown from seed sown directly in the garden. As a biennial grown as an annual it is harvested in its first season; if a plant is left to overwinter into a second year it bolts and produces light-yellow four-petaled flowers in a raceme that set siliqua fruits and seed.

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Rutabaga (Brassica napus (Napobrassica Group)). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/rutabaga

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Backs 1 field

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