Rutabaga
vegetable
Sow in midsummer for fall and winter harvest. Flavor improves dramatically after a hard frost. Larger and sweeter than turnip with distinctive purple-gold bicolor skin.
At a glance
- USDA Zones
- 3–8
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hrs)
- Water
- Medium — water when top inch of soil is dry
- Soil
- Loam, sandy
- pH
- Neutral
- Spacing
- 6 in. between plants
- Per square foot
- 4 plants per square
- Days to maturity
- About 90 days
Planting & harvest windows
Northern Hemisphere timing. Adjust ±4–6 weeks based on your last/first frost dates.
| Activity | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
Plant Harvest
Good companions
Keep apart from
Recommended varieties
- American Purple Top Yellow90 daysseed
Standard market rutabaga — sweet yellow flesh.
- Laurentian95 daysseed
Classic heirloom with smooth skin and excellent storage.
Add Rutabaga to your raised bed — the planner handles spacing and companion warnings automatically.
Open the planner →