Ode to Rutabaga

I just had to write some more about growing Rutabaga in Florida.  The variety I grow is 'American Purple Top', which is probably the most popular and widely grown. Most people are turned off by Rutabagas in the grocery store because they look so much like Turnips, which is a valid concern. I have grown two varieties of Turnip that were purported to be non-bitter and  delicious and it was a lie, Turnips are gross. But I was pleasantly surprised by Rutabagas. Their flavor is very mild, and they are an excellent replacement for potatoes.

Peeled Rutabagas ready for the cook pot

Rutabagas in the Florida garden are very easy to grow during the winter season, they can take unseasonable heat as well as our brief cold spells and frosts. I barely even fertilize them, and they are unfazed by too much or too little rain/irrigation. Most often I find half of the Rutabaga above ground as the root swells, but they are not tender and do not need to be covered with more soil.

Fresh Rutabaga just pulled from the garden

They do not split or get get pithy as other root crops will often do, so they can be left in the soil until you are ready to eat them.

They produce a copious amount of foliage, which can be eaten as greens, but I haven't tried this as I already have so many other varieties of greens in the garden during winter. However, my chickens and compost pile do appreciate this abundance.