Vegetable garden: growing rutabaga

Seedlings in nursery take place between March and mid April. When the seedlings have 3 or 4 leaves, transplant outdoors. Furthermore, sowing may be done outdoors from May onward. Harvesting takes place 10 weeks after planting.

Rutabaga can be attacked by pests such as the larvae of the cabbage maggot, snails and slugs that come and deteriorate the leaves and roots. It also can be affected by diseases such as viral disease (disease caused by a virus), powdery mildew (a fungus that causes the appearance of white spots on the leaves), root rot, mildew (a fungus that causes the appearance of brown spots on the leaves), the rhizoctonia (a fungus that causes rotting of the tubers) or clubroot (a fungus that causes wilting of leaves). Subsequently these diseases and pests cause a slower growth of the plant, which can even lead to the death of the latter. An excellent winter vegetable, rutabaga is not only a vegetable but also a root.