[snow white]

My swedes grew remarkably well and are a decent size BUT.... they taste horrible, the foliage has more  or less died off and some have just rotted in the ground.  They look fine until you pull them up and they collapse into mush.  I am dehydrating a couple of normal ones at the moment but the smell when preparing was like rotten cabbage.  Are they alright to use or is my entire crop defunct?

[Kirpi]

I had exactly this problem with my swedes this year (not turnips - they were fine).

A lot of my swedes were fine on the outside but turned to mush on the inside. I couldn't find a reason - did I sow too early and they just matured too soon?

Would be interested in people's responses.

[solway cropper]

I've always considered swede a winter veg. and wouldn't normally start harvesting till late October/November. I sow in modules and plant out in July and don't usually have much trouble with them. The soft rot is pretty horrible but I'm not sure what the cause is.....probably the weather!

[gobs]

Couldn't it just be general soft rot?

[diospyros]

The only thing I know about swedes is that if they go black and hollow in the middle it is Boron deficiency!  It doesn't sound like that though.

[AnneB]

I wouldn't mind betting that your swedes have split during growth, allowing soft rot to get inside.   Splitting can be caused by irregular watering or too much manure/ fertiliser being applied.  Swedes only need moderate amounts of manure or other fertiliser.

I think if they have gone to mush they have pretty much had it.   

I had this happen to a few turnips last year and put it down to excess amounts of water falling from the sky.

My swedes have been ready much earlier this year, I harvested them all at the end of August and early September, having only planted out at the back end of May.  They were a good size and taste great.

[snow white]

I sowed them as per the packet and wasn't expecting harvest until September but some had reached a size by start of August.  It has been very dry here so I have watered them once a fortnight really well.  Perhaps the soft ones split, its hard to tell as they don't come out of the ground without collapsing.  Not frequent enough water?  Ground wasn't manured but it had a BBF dressing two weeks before sowing, then again in July.  A potash sprinkling in May as well. 

[gobs]

I wouldn't mind betting that your swedes have split during growth, allowing soft rot to get inside.   Splitting can be caused by irregular watering or too much manure/ fertiliser being applied.  Swedes only need moderate amounts of manure or other fertiliser.

I think if they have gone to mush they have pretty much had it.   

I had this happen to a few turnips last year and put it down to excess amounts of water falling from the sky.

My swedes have been ready much earlier this year, I harvested them all at the end of August and early September, having only planted out at the back end of May.  They were a good size and taste great.

Hear, hear, this can be caused by all sorts of alien physical injuries too: hoeing, wild life, etc.

[leeks r us]

never seen that before sw if it smells bad i wouldent eat it i have been growing a type called elanor from dt browns for the past couple of years and they are sound i grow them on furrows which promotes only a single tap root it works really well

[AnneB]

Why is it that many Swede varieties are women's names?   Marian, Eleanor, Joan, Ruby, Angela.....

[leeks r us]

hmm this could spark something off anne?

[Hearty_Choke]

ive grown swedes for many years, but this year they have acquired a horrible smell and tastes as bad too after being cooked. the whole stew has taken on this smell. Tomorrow I think I will lift the whole rows and dump them

[snow white]

I wonder if it is because it has been dry and the flavour has intensified.

[gobs]

Why is it that many Swede varieties are women's names?   Marian, Eleanor, Joan, Ruby, Angela.....

That's because they are round.

[pigguns]

never seen that before sw if it smells bad i wouldent eat it i have been growing a type called elanor from dt browns for the past couple of years and they are sound i grow them on furrows which promotes only a single tap root it works really well

?
On the top of the furrows or in the bottom of the trench? Excuse newbie question but roots are a whole new thing to me, excited about my first swedes coming soon (I must get out more.....)