Cairns Family Heirloom Swede or Rutabaga is a variety originating from the Seed Savers Exchange catalog. The story goes that a woman named Evalynn Schnackenberg, got the seeds from her grand mother's cousin Leo cairns, who grew them as early as the 1950's and she then hared this family heirloom rutabaga with SSE in 2013. Her grandmother’s cousin, Leo Cairns, was an avid gardener and grew it as early as the 1950s near Bellingham, Washington. We were given seeds by a heirloom seed collector. The plants have been performing well in our trial. The tan roots with light red and green shoulders grow 6 to 8 inches in diameter and have a sweet flavor after the first frost.
Scientific Name: Brassica napobrassica
Plant Life Cycle: annual
Optimal Germination Temperature: 7-18C
Germination time in days: 7-15 Days
Indicative Days to maturity: 100-120 days
Sunlight: Full sun in cool climates or partial shade in hot summer
Soil requirement: rich, well-drained soil
Sowing and cultivation: Sow seeds outdoors in late spring.
