How to Grow Rutabaga

Updated June 2026

A cool-season root crop for the home garden.

Rutabaga is a rewarding cool-season crop for backyard growers.

🌱 Plant profile: Rutabaga, with sowing times for your region, companion plants and common pests.

When to plant

Rutabaga is a cool-season crop. In the South and Southwest, plant in fall through winter when the heat eases. See your region on the rutabaga page for exact timing.

Varieties

• American Purple Top, Standard sweet yellow-fleshed rutabaga (Southern Exposure Seed Exchange)

How to grow it

• Sun & soil: full sun, rich well-drained soil with even moisture.
• Spacing: about 10 in between plants.
• Sowing: sow about 0.5 in deep.
• Water: roughly 1.3 gal per plant every 2 days in hot weather.

Pests & problems

Watch for Imported cabbageworm, Aphids and Flea beetle. In humid regions, Clubroot, Powdery mildew and Downy mildew can appear, so space for airflow and water at the roots in the morning.

Harvest

Rutabaga is usually ready to harvest in about 3 months. Pick regularly to keep plants productive.

When to plant in your region

Pick your region to see exactly when to plant rutabaga where you garden.

See also: Rutabaga in the plant library →

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