Can I grow rutabagas in containers successfully?
Written by
Paul Reynolds
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Rutabagas can easily be grown in a container garden! As a small space gardener, you can even achieve a better harvest of rutabagas than field-grown rutabagas if you keep in mind three non-negotiables: depth, drainage, and spacing. I had a client use a 10 inch and they crammed their rutabagas in there like sardines, it did not work! The container specifications are everything!
Pot Requirements
- 12-inch minimum depth for root development
- Wide base prevents tipping
- Terracotta vs. plastic moisture trade-offs
Soil Mix Formula
- 40% compost for nutrients
- 30% coconut coir for moisture
- 30% perlite for drainage
Moisture Control
- Check soil daily in heat
- Self-watering pots reduce fluctuations
- Mulch with straw to retain dampness
Spacing determines your focus for harvesting. With 8-inch plant spacing in 15-gallon tubs, my harvest is limited to roots the size of baseballs. For those who want to prioritize leafy harvesting over storage crops, highly crowded plants at a spacing of 4 inches are great because they produce flimsily or spindly-sized roots combined with a ton of greens.
Be careful when fertilizing, especially in containers. I apply half-strength fish emulsion weekly, instead of a heavy synthetic feed. In my trials, overfed plants suffered from split roots, while the controlled organics continued to grow steadily without salt builds up in the confined container soils.
To provide winter protection for containers in the 6-9 growing zone, wrap pots in bubble wrap. My patio plants in Portland were able to withstand temperatures down to 25°F (-4°C) using this technique, allowing for an extended harvest of over six weeks after their ground-grown counterparts. Move/hear your pots weekly for uniform exposure to the sun.
Read the full article: How to Grow Rutabagas: Expert Guide for Home Gardeners
