Miniture Swedes

[Peggy Sue]

I can do a very good line in very very very small swedes(- baby veg maybe?!), but I can't seem to get any larger than a golf ball (and those are the biggest ones by far)

So whats the secret I can happliy swap for the secrets to grwoing such petite and deliate swedettes (should be in marketing eh)

Thay are treated like all the brassicas, bit of rotted compost dug in previoud autumn, bit of lime shortly after, sewn direct as per packet and bingo- the size of small radishes by October.

Just one more try next year and then its swede growing, I could be grwoing more broccoli

[grahamhobbs]

Try sowing later - July? I guess its fairly dry where you are, swedes like plenty of moisture. Otherwise you doing everything right. Better luck next year.

If you raise them in modules and then plant out late July/early August, then you can get some other crops in beforehand - sorry but not broccoli , same family.

[pumpy]

Hi Peggy, what's your soil-type? I've tried ( & failed ) to grow swedes the last two seasons.......... same as you, they are golf-ball size, & last season any of a decent size developed a sort of neck-rot. Our soil is a chalky loam & fairly life-less un less livened up with plenty of well rotted compost. On the other hand parsnips are massive, with loads of flavour.

[Peggy Sue]

Modules....mmm... didn't think you could do root crops in modules- worth a go on present success standards.

The soil- well actually it's lovely. The area is clay at home but the allotments are beautiful light well drained but rich soil- carrots love it, onions love it, squash love it, potatoes love it and broccoli loves it- the only things I've really failed to get going are swede, turnip (OK but not brill), celeriac and celery. The parsnips are huge, onions a raging success and carrots abundant so it's not root crops that fail as such.

The only downfall is it shows signs of natural acidity (marestail common) and that coupled with my plentiful composted horse manure... so it does get lime before brassicas.