Hi all and a happy new year. :)
I seem to have a problem with some of my swedes this year,the earlier harvested ones were fine,but the recent ones are very hard,so hard in fact they are very difficult to cut and cook.
Bearing in mind that these are specifically winter veg and theoretically should stand well into the winter I am at a loss to think what has gone wrong :-\.
I would add that they have,for the most part made good sizeable growth.
Any ideas anyone? ;).......Alan
Get a sharper knife. :D
Sorry Alan, couldn't resist!
Perhaps it is better to harvest and cook them whilst they are relatively young and more tender, rather than leave them in the ground to long?
:D
If you have had a mild winter, especially after a cold period, then the plants may be growing again. The hardness will be tissues lignifying, conversion to carbon (wood), prior to them running to seed.
Many thanks John,much like Parsnips left in the ground till spring then. ???
With all the mild winters we are having I think I will have to harvest my swedes as soon as they are ready and then find a way of storing them. regards....Alan
It may well be worthwhile checking other overwintered veg too? They may all need lifting sooner than normal.
Thanks for that explanation, John - we always speak about swedes going "woody" if they are left too long and though I knew it was a texture change never knew what the explanation was - you are a mine of information!!
We love swede and use it a lot - never feel it is at its best until it has been frosted. We are still picking ours as we need them but will soon lift the remainder, dice and freeze for putting in soups right thru the year hopefully.
This sounds familiar :-[. My soil here is so light that swedes do not do well-they are all `neck`
I have to buy them and they are so hard I literally have to split them with a cleaver
aha!.
i have the same problems. but only three swedes left ..good to know for next year though :)
Believe it or not I have had to resort to using a saw on some of my veg, especially the cabbage.
Rosemary
Quote from: Rose.mary on January 08, 2006, 21:19:49
Believe it or not I have had to resort to using a saw on some of my veg, especially the cabbage.
Rosemary
This made me laugh out loud ;D :'( I must remember this technique!
ssshhhh, don't tell anyone, but I have had to use a meat cleaver like an axe to seperate a savoy cabbage from it's trunk like stem!! The hamsters love them tho!! ;D
I've got heavy clay but my swedes seem to be all "neck" too, Cleo.
Helen
It's amazing how one thinks one is the only one with swede trouble,or any other troubles for that matter.
Reading the continuing Swede saga and the respective dissecting remedies since I originally posted, It appears a lot of us have the same prob......amazing :D.
Alan
thanks for all the info i have a very light soil and poor swedes this explains why,oh well more muck spreading?
Ha! I don't have that problem with my swedes .... oh no - they are so small that cutting them in half would be similar to splitting the atom!
My swedes have fared about the same as yours Bionic, I have had bigger new potatoes ... :)
Are swedes brassica?
indeed they are
I had very small swedes to start with,then last year I decided to give them more room e.g.18" all round and they grew massive.Whatever you do don't allow the tops to be eaten by pigeons in the initial growing stages,it stunts them considerably(the swedes that is) ;D.....Alan
Brasicas - yes. And some Italian lottie neighbours of ours simply love the young turnip/swede leaves tho I've never tried them myself I udnerstand they are nice and "peppery"?
That is something I never considered Alang, I will endeavour to accommodate that spacing this year ...