When to plant Swede in Temperate Australia

Temperate zone — applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Cool · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Sow swede direct from January to April, dropping seed about 10 mm deep into a firm, weed-free bed. It germinates quickly in 6–12 days and matures in 70–90 days, giving you sweet, dense roots through autumn and winter. Thin seedlings to 10–20 cm apart in rows spaced 30–50 cm apart so each root has room to swell. As a hardy brassica, swede actually improves with a touch of cold, which makes the late-summer-to-autumn sowing window ideal for temperate gardens in Melbourne, Ballarat's milder neighbours, and Adelaide.

Sowing calendar — temperate zone

Green months are your sowing window: January to April.

Growing notes

Swede is a slow, hardy root crop grown for autumn and winter eating, and the January to April sowing window is timed so the roots bulk up as the weather cools. A light frost even sweetens them. Sow direct rather than transplanting, since like most root crops swede forks and distorts if its taproot is disturbed.

Consistent moisture is the key to good roots. The classic failure is woody, cracked, or bitter swedes, which comes from irregular watering, letting the bed dry out and then flooding it. Keep the soil evenly moist and mulch to buffer it, especially through a warm temperate autumn in Perth or Sydney.

Thin without guilt to 10–20 cm; unthinned swedes stay small and misshapen. Swede is a brassica, so cabbage white caterpillars, aphids and flea beetle can all take a toll. Exclusion netting over the bed is the cleanest control, and it also keeps cabbage moth off the young leaves. Avoid over-feeding with nitrogen, which pushes leafy tops at the expense of the root. A bed limed to a near-neutral pH before sowing helps prevent clubroot, the disease most likely to ruin a brassica patch that has grown the same family too often.

Swede at a glance

Common questions

When do you plant swede in a temperate climate?

Sow direct from January to April so the roots mature into the cooling weather of autumn and winter. Swede is hardy and its flavour improves with a little cold, so this late-summer-to-autumn window suits temperate gardens well.

Why are my swedes woody and bitter?

Usually irregular watering. Letting the bed dry out then soaking it stresses the roots, making them tough, cracked and bitter. Keep the soil evenly moist and mulch to hold that moisture steady.

How far apart should I thin swede seedlings?

Thin to 10–20 cm apart in rows 30–50 cm apart. Unthinned swedes compete and stay small and misshapen, so thin firmly once seedlings are established for well-formed roots.

Do I need to net swede against pests?

It helps a lot. As a brassica, swede is targeted by cabbage white caterpillars, aphids and flea beetle. Exclusion netting over the bed keeps them off the leaves and is the cleanest, spray-free control.

Keep exploring