Hi,
Last year I successfully grew swedes for the first time, having started them off in modules and later transplanting into the allotment. However, although I had read that you could leave them in the ground and use as needed, I lost them all in October / November following hard frosts. The exposed plants froze, and were mushy when they thawed again.
This year I have a good crop again, but don't want to lose them this time. If I lift them now, what is the best way of storing them? I have found that carrots store well in dry compost - would this work for swedes? And how long will they store for?
storing swedes
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
I've never needed to store them as they are very hardy and will stay in the ground all winter but I would have thought dry compost or sand would be fine. In the old days the farmers would make clamps outside to keep them frost free.
Beryl.
Beryl.
Beryl wrote:I've never needed to store them as they are very hardy and will stay in the ground all winter but I would have thought dry compost or sand would be fine. In the old days the farmers would make clamps outside to keep them frost free.
Beryl.
Hi Beryl,
Funny, that's exactly what my book said. Yet my swedes were perfectly ok the day before the frost, turning to mush as they thawed afterwards!
If this doesn't happen to other people's, I'm wondering why it happened to mine. Any ideas?
I have no idea why yours turned to mush unless the roots had been damaged by slugs or were less than perfect. Woodlice can be a problem too. You could try protecting them with a layer of straw but I wouldn't do it just yet, give it another month or so although the straw may attract the woodlice.
Make sure you remove any rotting leaves and keep them weed free.
Beryl.
Make sure you remove any rotting leaves and keep them weed free.
Beryl.
-
Primrose
- KG Regular
- Posts: 8063
- Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
- Location: Bucks.
- Has thanked: 41 times
- Been thanked: 290 times
I tried to grow a few swedes this year and have ended up with one the size of a small pumpkin. I've pulled it up now because I suspect it will last us all winter and will have to be eaten piece by piece. It may be as tough as old Harry though, and looks like I'll need a saw to cut through it !
I think it has been a good year for swede probably due to all that wet stuff we have had. Quite often they can end up looking like over-grown carrots.
The only draw-back if they are very big is they can end up being hollow and dry in the middle.
I'm sure yours will be delicious Primrose.
Beryl.
The only draw-back if they are very big is they can end up being hollow and dry in the middle.
I'm sure yours will be delicious Primrose.
Beryl.
Don't know Geoff but I have known quite few people complain that they can't grow swede and I think it is because they don't give enough attention to the regular watering in the early stages. But I am no expert I may be wrong.
Beryl.
Beryl.
-
Colin_M
- KG Regular
- Posts: 1182
- Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:13 am
- Location: Bristol
- Been thanked: 1 time
I'm interested in the answers on this too.
My half a dozen plants grew at a rate of knots over the summer and some did indeed grow a bit too large. I've thus sown some more seed to grow through the autumn, so was a bit worried about the possibilities of frost damaging them.
Can anyone advise, do swedes normally grow with a lot of the root ending up out of the ground? For our ones, I'd say around threequarters was exposed and I could believe this would make them more vulnerable to frost than something below the surface.
Is it good practice to "earth up" around them as winter approahces, to help minimise this?
Does the flavour of swedes improve after storage? Mine certainly tasted a little "green" when I cooked the early ones in the summer. I wondered if some of the starch converted to sugars if they're dug up & stored? Could just have been the variety I used though (From Seeds of Italy, so guess they wouldn't taste like traditional Devonshire Reds!).
My half a dozen plants grew at a rate of knots over the summer and some did indeed grow a bit too large. I've thus sown some more seed to grow through the autumn, so was a bit worried about the possibilities of frost damaging them.
Can anyone advise, do swedes normally grow with a lot of the root ending up out of the ground? For our ones, I'd say around threequarters was exposed and I could believe this would make them more vulnerable to frost than something below the surface.
Is it good practice to "earth up" around them as winter approahces, to help minimise this?
Does the flavour of swedes improve after storage? Mine certainly tasted a little "green" when I cooked the early ones in the summer. I wondered if some of the starch converted to sugars if they're dug up & stored? Could just have been the variety I used though (From Seeds of Italy, so guess they wouldn't taste like traditional Devonshire Reds!).
Swedes are about the most hardy of our winter brassicas and I simply do not understand this bit about being destroyed by frost.
In this district acre upon acre are grown for feeding sheep over the winter months because of their hardiness. People will say that this is a different variety of Swede but I can assure you that they are not.
I am exceedingly partial to Swede and eat an awful lot over the winter months. What would roast Lamb be without Swede with Onion and Leek sauce!
I do not bother to grow them I ask one of the Sheep Farmers if I can pull a few during the season. The answer is always yes but you have always got to ask first. They generally say pull some for us whilst you are about it! Always short of time sheep farmers.
JB.
In this district acre upon acre are grown for feeding sheep over the winter months because of their hardiness. People will say that this is a different variety of Swede but I can assure you that they are not.
I am exceedingly partial to Swede and eat an awful lot over the winter months. What would roast Lamb be without Swede with Onion and Leek sauce!
I do not bother to grow them I ask one of the Sheep Farmers if I can pull a few during the season. The answer is always yes but you have always got to ask first. They generally say pull some for us whilst you are about it! Always short of time sheep farmers.
JB.
Just to answer Colins points.
Yes, swede do grow above the ground, the edible root swells above ground level.
Late May here in the south is the best time for sowing seed. I don't think anything sown in the Autumn would have time enough to mature. The roots need to be well established to survive the winter.
As Johnboy indicated they do require 'field conditions' to grow best.
I think you may have havested your swede far too early. October onwards is probably soon enough.
Unless you eat a lot of swede as Johnboy says is probably is not worth the time and trouble when they can be bought relatively cheaply although having said that I did notice in our local market they were selling for 50p a pound which I thought expensive.
Beryl.
Yes, swede do grow above the ground, the edible root swells above ground level.
Late May here in the south is the best time for sowing seed. I don't think anything sown in the Autumn would have time enough to mature. The roots need to be well established to survive the winter.
As Johnboy indicated they do require 'field conditions' to grow best.
I think you may have havested your swede far too early. October onwards is probably soon enough.
Unless you eat a lot of swede as Johnboy says is probably is not worth the time and trouble when they can be bought relatively cheaply although having said that I did notice in our local market they were selling for 50p a pound which I thought expensive.
Beryl.
-
Colin_M
- KG Regular
- Posts: 1182
- Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:13 am
- Location: Bristol
- Been thanked: 1 time
Thanks for your reply Beryl. Just a couple of comments
Ok, I just picked them when I noticed some of them had grown far bigger than the ones in the shops! A few of them then grew even bigger, but maybe that's down to the variety we bought.
Oh, that's a shame. However I have some seedlings that are 3-4" high. Since there may be some spare room over the next 6 months, I might plant them out anyway. I'm going to swap to an English variety next year anyway, so this may not be a huge loss.
I know what you mean. However I live with 2 vegetarians and we're definitely using more root veg nowadays. It was a pleasure to find how easily Swedes grew this year. Someone will probably now tell me that 2008 was exceptional for swedes and that we're unlikely to see the same results again
Beryl wrote:I think you may have harvested your swede far too early. October onwards is probably soon enough.
Ok, I just picked them when I noticed some of them had grown far bigger than the ones in the shops! A few of them then grew even bigger, but maybe that's down to the variety we bought.
Beryl wrote:I don't think anything sown in the Autumn would have time enough to mature. The roots need to be well established to survive the winter.
Oh, that's a shame. However I have some seedlings that are 3-4" high. Since there may be some spare room over the next 6 months, I might plant them out anyway. I'm going to swap to an English variety next year anyway, so this may not be a huge loss.
Beryl wrote:Unless you eat a lot of swede ...probably is not worth the time and trouble
I know what you mean. However I live with 2 vegetarians and we're definitely using more root veg nowadays. It was a pleasure to find how easily Swedes grew this year. Someone will probably now tell me that 2008 was exceptional for swedes and that we're unlikely to see the same results again