Cool-season produce

Rutabaga

Brassica napus Napobrassica Group

Also known as Swede · Swedish turnip · Rutabagas

Distinct from turnip and slower to size up. The long, mild winter window is important; harvest before sustained spring heat.

EdibleCool-season crop

Growing spaceVegetable bed

Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Crop familyBrassicaceae (mustard)

Life cycleAnnual crop

Phoenix planting windowSeptember–January; sow early enough for a long cool growing period.

How to plantDirect sow and thin; avoid transplanting the storage root.

Plant spacing6–8 in

FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.

Time to harvestAbout 100–120 days

SuccessionOne or two early fall sowings are more reliable than late starts.

Special categoriesEDIBLE

Typical harvestWinter into early spring roots.

Right plant, right place

Will Rutabaga grow at your Arizona property?

Distinct from turnip and slower to size up. The long, mild winter window is important; harvest before sustained spring heat.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

1
Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.
2
Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.
3
Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.
4
Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.