Brassica, Rutabaga, Improved Helenor ~ 120 seeds

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SKU
43059958
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Sun Preference
Full-Sun
Bloom or Harvest Time
Late Summer, Fall
  $3.99

Description

This easy to grow Dutch rutabaga (a.k.a. swede) has a fine texture and warm, rich flavors like apples crossed with turnips. High yielding Helenor roots develop good color early, with creamy exteriors splashed with violet and yellow interior flesh. This mainstay root vegetable is ready to harvest and enjoy from tennis to softball size to use as needed from the garden. You’ll love them tossed in olive oil, then roasted or sautéed to bring out their natural sweetness.

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Start your garden from scratch with Gertens' wide variety of seed packets! Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, we have seeds for every skill level and garden size. From colorful flowers to delicious vegetables, our seeds are carefully selected for their quality and performance.

Seed Starting Successfully

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From Our Experts

Details

Cold Winters: June – July  
Mild Winters: Aug – Sept, Mar – Apr
Sun/Shade: Full sun
Sow Seeds: 2 in. apart, 1/2 in. deep 
Days To Germinate: 10 – 14 days 
Days To Harvest: 85 – 90 days 

START SEEDS DIRECTLY OUTDOORS
Mild Winter Areas: In midsummer, sow seeds in well-drained garden soil in full sun. Sow 2 inches apart and 1/2 inch deep in rows 12 inches apart. When several inches tall, thin seedlings to stand 6 inches apart, so roots have room to size up. If spring sowing is your only option, sow seed as soon as soil can be worked, and harvest as soon as roots size up to avoid them becoming fibrous.

Cold Winter Areas: Plant as above in early to midsummer, about 12 weeks before first fall frost, so roots will finish in cooler autumn weather. Flavor gets sweeter after a few frosts; mulch to protect roots from freezing.

GROWING NOTES
Rutabaga reach top quality and flavor maturing in cool weather, so are best planted midsummer for a fall crop. For best quality roots, keep plants consistently moist and well weeded. Use floating row covers or fine insect netting to keep out pests while seedlings are young.

HARVEST AND USE
Harvest as needed when roots reach tennis ball size; pull or dig out roots carefully. Rutabagas are delicious peeled, then cut in chunks, tossed with olive oil & roasted until tender by themselves or with other root vegetables. Or slice them up to sauté gently in butter, or steam and mash.

More Information

Brand Renee's Garden
Seed Packet Type Vegetables
Sun Preference Full-Sun
Bloom or Harvest Time Late Summer, Fall
Plant Life Cycle Annual
Spacing Between Rows 12"
Spacing in Row 2" thin to 6"
Planting Depth 1/2"
Days to Germination 10-14 days
Days to Maturity 85-90 days

Product Questions (12)

Starting times will vary depending on the vegetable you are growing. Each seed packet will have specific sowing instructions for that type of vegetable. Some plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, should be started indoors, 6-8 weeks before the last frost...
The process of bringing seeds outside is called hardening off. Hardening off is generally done sometime after the seedling has two full sets of normal leaves. In Minnesota, you want to begin hardening off seedlings in late April/early May.  To ...
If you have a southern facing window with all day sun, you may grow seedlings in a windowsill. Be sure to rotate the seedlings frequently to ensure the plants do not lean heavily towards the sun. For more even results, use a grow light, positioned roughly...
We recommend using either high intensity T5 fluorescent bulbs, or LED grow lights. Both setups will produce excellent results. T5s are the typical grow light, are economical and come in frequencies that are helpful for plant development. LED technology...
Grow lights should be kept roughly 4-5” above the top of seedling leaves. If you are using very powerful LEDs, you could even keep them 8-10” away.
Grow lights should be used to mimic a natural sunlight cycle for plants. We recommend using them 12 hours a day, from roughly 7am to 7pm.  
A variety of seedling trays exist for seed starting. If you are starting smaller seeds, a simple peat cell tray works great. However, the larger the seed, the larger the initial pot should be. If you are starting larger seeds indoors such as: sunflowers...
Do not start any type of fertilizer regime for young seedlings until they have at least two full sets of regular leaves. Start with a root stimulator, then after a month you may move on to a gentle, weak (half strength) water-based fertilizer. Remember...
Let the roots tell you when to transplant. When you begin to see the seedling’s root growing out of the bottom of their current pot, it is time to transplant up to something larger. We recommend using a 4” nursery pot to transplant most seedlings. In...
Gertens carries a wide variety of both spring and autumn planted bulbs. Spring planted bulbs, such as gladioli and dahlias, are best started indoors in early April, and planted outside once the soil temperatures are above 55 F. Autumn planted bulbs, ...
The big three tips are: 1) Staking and training 2) Feeding and watering and 3) Harvesting and enjoying. 1) Keeping plants trained and staked allows air circulation around crops and provides much-needed support for produce as it grows...
Gertens does carry an assortment of both perennials, as well as annual and perennial wildflower mixes. It is important to remember when growing perennials, that you will not get any flowers the first year of growth. It often takes a perennial 2-3 years...
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