Forgotten rutabaga: photo, cultivation, care and varieties

Rutabaga is not recommended for growing in the south. This culture is for the northern regions of Russia, a lover of moderate temperatures. It is difficult to establish the exact origin. Among its “ancestors” are supposedly spring rape, rapeseed, turnip, and cabbage. There is a version that rutabaga is a hybrid of turnips with various types of cabbage.

But in any case, this is another representative of the cruciferous (cabbage) family and is distinguished by its rich content of nutrients.

It contains more vitamin C than carrots, beets and even cabbage. Contains dry substances, sugars, proteins, fiber, essential oils. Rutabaga mustard oils have bactericidal properties. Its juice can be used to treat burns and other wounds.

How to grow good rutabaga

The agricultural technology of rutabaga is simple, but when grown in a warm, dry climate, the root crops turn out to be woody and tasteless. The growing season for this crop is 100-120 days, and in the southern regions, even with early spring sowing (and its seeds germinate already at +2 +3 degrees), the growth period of root crops occurs in hot, dry weather, and they turn out to be very hard.

You can get away from the heat by sowing seeds in the second half of summer, as we do when growing other cruciferous vegetables: cauliflower and broccoli, daikon, radish, turnips. In this case, at least the final period of the rutabaga growing season will be in comfortable weather for it - +15 +18 degrees.

Sowing in the second half of summer is more favorable than spring also because it continues to grow root crops even after the first frost. The main thing is to protect summer-sown rutabaga immediately after emergence from the cruciferous flea beetle, which is especially aggressive and insatiable during the hot season. You can scare it away by sprinkling the garden bed with wood ash.

Growing rutabaga

Spring sowing will give results only if spring is early and the soil allows you to sow rutabaga as early as March - at the same time as carrots for early consumption.

Rutabaga is also grown through seedlings. By the time of planting, the seedlings should have 3-4 true leaves (35-45-day seedlings). This will give the plants a run and allow them to form a harvest before the heat comes.

Where and how to plant rutabaga

Rutabagas are best grown in loamy or sandy loam soils.On poor sandy lands it is unlikely to be productive even with the most careful care.

The area allocated for cultivation is improved with humus and compost. You can add a little complex fertilizer with a low nitrogen content (1-2 tablespoons per sq. m). Excess nitrogen fertilizers impairs the shelf life of root crops. Rutabaga is responsive to potash fertilizers.

You can sow rutabaga after any vegetables except cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, radish, radish, daikon). And, of course, you cannot get a harvest without timely watering: the soil in the garden bed should not dry out. Lack of moisture combined with high temperatures affects the quality of root crops: they grow small, rough, and tasteless.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 1.5-2.5 cm: deeper on loam, shallower on sandy loam. At the stage of 3-4 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out, increasing the distance between plants to 15 cm.

Grown root vegetables

At the first stage of development rutabaga needs to be given an impetus for growth, so it is advisable to feed it with organic infusions (mullein, green grass - 1:10) or a solution of complex mineral fertilizer (1 tablespoon per sq. m).

During the formation of root crops fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Harvest before the onset of stable frosts.

Rutabaga is valuable because its rich, tasty root vegetable stores well and can be on the menu all year round. Root vegetables and leaves are eaten with pleasure by barnyard dwellers. True, rutabaga should not be given to cows in large quantities (the milk will have an unpleasant aftertaste).