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Rutabaga: growing, care
Rutabaga is a vegetable of the red-colored family, similar to radish and cabbage. It is widely used in English cuisine. The culture is rarely found in our country and is little known, but some summer residents still prefer to grow it on their plots. Consider what a vegetable is, how to grow and use it.
Description and characteristics of the plant
The root crop we are considering is considered cold-resistant and lives only two years, in the first year from which the plant itself, its stems, leaves and root crop are formed. In the second year, the culture forms shoots with seeds, which allow the vegetable to be propagated in the future.
Rutabaga is a great side dish
The height of the bush ranges from 70 to 180 cm, the emerging seeds are very reminiscent of beetroot seeds.
Root crops can be described as follows:
- They can be of different shapes: round, cylindrical, oval.
- They are distinguished by a light skin with a purple or dark green top.
- The flesh is firm, crispy, white or creamy, very nutritious. Small vegetable.
The root vegetable is eaten both raw and after heat treatment; it tastes like a turnip. The product can be added to salads, as well as baked, fried and stewed. Perfectly strengthens nails, hair and skin due to the large amount of vitamins contained in the pulp.
Cultivation and care of the rutabagus
It should be noted that the culture is completely unpretentious and cold-resistant, which does not prevent its cultivation in different regions of the country.
Planting is carried out several times a year, which allows harvesting for a long time. Consider the basic recommendations for sowing and caring for a vegetable:
- The ideal time to grow swede is early autumn. The culture manages to take root before the onset of frost.
- The culture is planted with both seeds and seedlings. The approximate ripening variety is 65-80 days.
- If other crops have already been grown in the place allocated for rutabagas and the land has received top dressing, additional fertilization of the soil in large quantities is not necessary. It is recommended to feed the soil with superphosphate and potassium chloride. The most favorable precursors for red are legumes.
- Make sure that the soil is moist, but the water does not stagnate.
- When placing seeds or young shoots in shallow holes, keep a distance between specimens of 6-8 cm. Thus, the plant will have enough nutrients and moisture for full growth, and from 1 sq. m. you can collect an impressive harvest.
- Make sure that the bush is not besieged by pests. If this happens, be sure to treat the crops with specially designed chemicals.
When it’s time to remove the rutabagas, it is important not to damage the root crop: carefully dig in the plant, remove it from the ground and remove all excess (tops, dirt, roots).
To give the root vegetable a sweetish taste, you can resort to fertilization with manganese and calcium.
In our country, it is customary to grow rutabagas as a fodder plant, but the vegetable is very useful if added to dishes. Follow the recommendations of experts, and in the cold season, another product rich in vitamins and nutrients will appear on your table.