[Poolman]

Evening all,

 Well as always I am always looking for stuff to grow

The potatoes will be up soon, can I grow swedes in there place?

Thanks

[mumofstig]

My swede have been sown in modules for about a month. Isn't it too late to sow them now

[Auntiemogs]

I know this is a stupid question but what is the difference between a swed and a turnip?

[the Kergan]

Swedes are orange and bigger , turnips are smaller and white as far as I'm aware. Not sure on the taste of turnip cooked but I have eaten it raw in the fields.

Never had raw swede and not sure if it is ok to eat raw.
I love mashed swede with butter with the Sunday roast so I am trying them for the first time in a raised bed. So far they seem to be going on very well.

[mumofstig]

IMO swede tastes much nicer - simples  they're milder and sweeter and lurvely mashed with butter

I find that swedes are edible and non fibrous even when they're big - whereas I find turnips are horrid once they're bigger than a golf ball 

you can eat raw swede it's not bad grated in a slaw.

[solway cropper]

The big problem is that up north we call swedes turnips!!

I planted out my module sown swedes two days ago in one of those rare moments when it wasn't actually raining. Agree with mum that swedes taste much nicer but I do grow turnips as they're a quick crop and you can bung em in a stew to hide the taste

[shoozie]

I get confused, as up here, a swede is a turnip (or a neep) - it tastes best after a frost as that makes it sweet .  Mashed (no extras) - perfect winter food alongside something like mashed tatties and a steak pie or haggis    I don't find them easy to grow though, as usually we get a lot of 'necks'.
I've learned to like the 'other' turnips in summer  

[the Kergan]

I wonder if you can hollow out a swede cut some scary eyes and big teeth and stuff into it and plonk a candle in it at Halloween. It could be a scary midget halloween shrunken head.

[Madame Cholet]

I like them roasted too.

[shoozie]

I wonder if you can hollow out a swede cut some scary eyes and big teeth and stuff into it and plonk a candle in it at Halloween. It could be a scary midget halloween shrunken head.

That's exactly what generations of children used up here for Halloween before pumpkins came along  . It's hard work chiselling out a turnip (erm, swede ), and it stinks a bit once the candle burns for a while  .  They make fine lanterns - if you can find a big one

[Plot74]

I grew some swede last year but they got a touch of club root and did not swell so this year I am trying them on another part of the plot .
I have both swede and turnips in . Turnips for the summer  swede for the winter.
John

[snowdrops]

I wonder if you can hollow out a swede cut some scary eyes and big teeth and stuff into it and plonk a candle in it at Halloween. It could be a scary midget halloween shrunken head.

That's exactly what generations of children used up here for Halloween before pumpkins came along  . It's hard work chiselling out a turnip (erm, swede ), and it stinks a bit once the candle burns for a while  .  They make fine lanterns - if you can find a big one

Only thing we knew in Yorkshire. Never saw a pumpkin

[New shoot]

My swede have been sown in modules for about a month. Isn't it too late to sow them now

Might be worth a go but is a little late.  How about turnips, kohl rabi, beetroot or winter radish as a quicker maturing root crop to let you use the space    If it is winter veg you want, you could try the garden centres.  I'm getting a range of autumn planting veg in at work next week.  Could buy you an extra couple of weeks of growing time back  

[Poolman]

Hmm so a no go on the seed swede then, that's a shame.

Need to find a good local garden centre, I only have b & q and I keep visiting odd nurserys etc dotted about but they ain't cheap!

[Madame Cholet]

An old gardener told me if you plant swedes late and cloche them if you are lucky you can eat them in May. You might have a few small ones for the winter anyway.