Swedes were first discovered growing in Sweden when a botanist called Gaspard Bauhin found them growing wild in 1620. This article discusses 5 popular varieties so you can decide which is the best swede variety to grow.
They are also referred to as Rutabaga in US and Turnip in the UK, although they are much larger in size, take longer to grow, and have more yellow-colored flesh than turnips.
Are swedes grown for animal or human consumption?
Some varieties of swedes are bred with the main intention of livestock feed. These will grow large in size with less regard for taste or visual appeal. Other varieties are bred entirely for culinary use/ human consumption, these will be much tastier and more aesthetically pleasing.
Which are the top 5 swede varieties?
The most common swede varieties grown are:
Magres
- Moderate yielding variety, don’t like to grow too large – will crack if too big.
- Winter hardy and actually tastes better after a hard frost as this converts more starches to sugars,
- Good powdery mildew and clubroot resistance
- Bred specifically for culinary use
- Amazing taste, consistent shape and color
- Appealing dark yellow colored flesh
- Sow April to June – Harvest September to February
- Easier to peel and cut flesh as lower dry matter than some varieties.
Lomond
- High-yielding variety, can grow large.
- very winter hardy due to high dry matter,
- Good powdery mildew and clubroot resistance
- Mainly used for animal feed but can be used for humans
- Average taste with consistent shape and color –
- Slightly creamy colored flesh
- Sow April to June – Harvest September to February
- Can be a little hard to cut/ cook due to high dry matter
Marian
- Moderate yielding variety, uniform sized.
- Moderate dry matter, winter hardy.
- Good powdery mildew and clubroot resistance
- Mainly used for animal feed but can be used for humans
- Average taste with consistent shape and color –
- Pale cream-colored flesh with purple top
Brora
- A dark purple topped swede with a creamy flesh
- High-yielding variety, can grow large.
- Attractive skin with few blemishes
- RHS Award of Merit winner
- Fast establishing variety
- Low powdery mildew and moderate clubroot resistance
- Bred as a culinary swede
- Good taste with consistent shape and color –
Gowrie –
- High-yielding variety, can grow large.
- very winter hardy due to high dry matter,
- Good powdery mildew and clubroot resistance
- Mainly used for animal feed but can be used for humans
- Average taste with consistent shape and color –
- Slightly creamy-colored flesh
Which is the best swede variety to grow?
When it comes to choosing the best swede variety for culinary use there is one that stands head and shoulders above the rest and that is the variety Magres. Magres is the No.1 choice for professional growers supplying supermarkets. The main selling points of Magres are that it tastes delicious, it has an attractive purple top and a cream-coloured base, and the crop grows uniformly in size and shape.
The flesh inside Magres is dark yellow in color, and as it has medium dry matter there are no issues with it being difficult to peel or cut. Magres has quite good tolerance to powdery mildew and is hardy to winter frost.
A note for those who want very large turnips, Magres is not a good pick. As they grow very large Magres has a tendency to crack at the side, this can result in a badly misshaped swede and will eventually rot at the crack.
If you are interested in growing Magres swedes – take a look at these seeds from reputable supplier Thompson Morgan.
If you live in the US the best variety available to you would be American purple top rutabaga seeds. These are non-GMO certified seeds and can be delivered to your home address.
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