When to Plant Rutabaga (Swede) in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Sow March to June. Right now in October it is out of season. The next sowing month is March.
Grow Rutabaga in your space
Also called swede.
- Planting window
- Sow swede direct in a sunny spot in autumn and grow it through winter. Lift before spring heat makes the roots woody.
- Days to harvest
- about 13 weeks
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Water needs
- Consistent deep watering throughout growth. Irregular watering causes woody, fibrous...
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.5
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Rutabaga (Swede) guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Swedes (known as rutabagas in North America) are a large, slow-growing root crop with yellow-orange flesh and a sweet, earthy flavour that improves after frost. They are a cross between cabbage and turnip, requiring cool conditions for best results. An underrated winter staple in Australian cool-temperate gardens.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Arid / Semi-Arid
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | D | D | D | D | - | - | - | - | - | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 24.4°C (optimal range: 7–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
How to Grow Rutabaga (Swede) in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
When to Plant
Sow swede direct in a sunny spot in autumn and grow it through winter. Lift before spring heat makes the roots woody.
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, well-drained loam enriched with well-rotted compost. Avoid acid soils prone to clubroot. Remove stones which cause misshapen roots.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Consistent deep watering throughout growth. Irregular watering causes woody, fibrous roots and can lead to splitting. Water deeply once or twice weekly.
Companion plants: Onion, Garlic, Pea, Nasturtium (trap crop)
Avoid planting near: Strawberry, Other brassicas (clubroot risk)
Grow before, grow after
Rutabaga belongs with the brassicas, the leafy greens and brassicas turn of a four turn bed rotation.
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Rutabaga (Swede)
Recommended Varieties
- Purple Top
- Altasweet
Key Challenges
- Summer heat makes growing impossible
- Maintaining moisture
- Possible boron deficiency in alkaline soils
Pro Tips
- Cool-season crop only
- Drip irrigation essential
- Test for boron deficiency in alkaline soils
Harvesting Rutabaga (Swede)
When ready: Roots are 8-12cm diameter, with purple/green shoulders visible above soil. Harvest after first frost for sweetest flavour. Roots become woody if left too long (larger than 15cm).
How to harvest: Loosen soil alongside root with a fork. Lift gently. Trim foliage to 2cm. Brush off soil. Do not wash until ready to use.
Worth growing?
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 12 plants, about $45 worth at today’s Coles prices, checked today.
That is roughly 6 kg at $7.50 a kilo.
Draw your rutabaga (swede) bed → No account needed.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Rutabaga (Swede)
When do you plant rutabaga in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to May
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to Apr
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to May, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Apr, Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Jun
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Mar
Does rutabaga grow all year round in Alice Springs?
No. In the Arid / Semi-Arid zone the planting months are Mar to Jun. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
What else is rutabaga called?
Rutabaga is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it swede. Same plant, same growing advice.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.