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kawaiineko_gardener

rutabagas in northern Michigan?

I live very close to the upper peninsula; it's about an hour drive from where I live. However I live in the upper part of the LOWER peninsula (just clarifying this to avoid any confusion).

I don't know too much about rutabaga, growing it or eating it. I just know it's a root veggie that has a fairly long growing season.

I know 90% of cold weather veggies, including root veggies, hate cold weather. I can only think of a few exceptions, and those are kale and collards; since rutabaga, has such a long growing season, is it able to be grown in summer (as in heat doesn't bother it). Or is it one of those cool weather veggies, that hate hot weather too?

If so, how can you grow rutabaga in northern Michigan? The growing season here is so short, that even if you plant it in April, it won't mature until June, which even for Northern Michigan (which has milder and cooler summers compared to 'deep south' gardening zones) is still really hot at that time of year.

Is it one of those things, like parsnips, where it'd be able to be grown in March (as in early march, beginning of March) and the weather wouldn't be too cold that it would kill it?

I also know you can sow it in fall, but when in fall? Should it be grown in late fall (like September or October, so that when it's fully mature, it'll be dead of winter.....November or December).

Comments (2)

  • Durgan17
    13 years ago

    Both should grow well in the part of Michigan where you live. simply direct sow the seeds about the first of June. Parsnips are sometimes hard to get to germinate, so plant new seeds only.

    We grew both rutabaga and parsnips well in Carrot River, Saskatchewan - look it up. We would have considered the area of Michigan you live in as the deep South.

  • kawaiineko_gardener
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you for the information. Unfortunately I'm a little confused. To my knowledge most root vegetables don't like hot weather; I did ask if rutabaga is the exception to this rule or is something that hates hot weather.

    You never did answer that question; not trying to be rude when I say this, sorry if it comes off that way.

    Hypothetically if it were grown in June, it wouldn't mature until August. I don't have a problem growing it in the summer, I just don't know if like other cool weather crops, rutabaga is something that hates hot weather, or is one of the few root veggies, that don't mind it or even like it or prefer it over cool weather (or doesn't care either way).