Just had to brag on my rutabaga.

[Fat Charlie]

Picked it yesterday, the darn thing was bigger than our turkey! I chopped it up, cooked half of it and it still filled the salad bowl. Sweet, sweet goodness. As an added bonus, there's the other half.

[Redbaron]

wow!!!!!!!

[Tania]

So awesome - and cute picture too! I love rutabaga!

[kath]

That's amazing, Charlie, and to my eyes it's shape is a bit turkey-like! You deserve to brag about it. I love rutabaga, too, but some kind of rot or something always "melts" my attempts at rutabaga or turnips so I've stopped trying to grow them.

This year I planted Lutz Winterkeeper at the end of May for a fall storage beet and some of them looked to be nearly the size of my head when I hilled dirt over them in Oct. to protect them from freezing. We just finished up the other smaller varieties today, so I'll be pulling one next week. If you don't mind, I can post a pick here. Folks claim they stay tender even when they get huge, so we'll see.

kath

[Fat Charlie]

I planted four rutabaga at the end of a potato bed, just as an experiment (Thanksgiving was the goal). Three survived the spring rains, and we ate one last month and loved it. The second we gave to friends and we're currently having the leftovers of the first half of #3. I don't know if they're a particular type, but I got the packet from Fedco in 2011.

Kath- I didn't do anything to protect them from the frost, I just trusted to their broad leaves to protect them from the frosts. My wife's friend said that they get bitter as they get bigger, but the friend we gave one to says the real cold makes them produce sugar. And they were good, so I'm going with his story. I want to see and hear about yours, too.

[Fat Charlie]

I forgot to add- I haven't had an easier time mashing potatoes or rutabagas, ever.

[Farmette]

Originally Posted by kath

That's amazing, Charlie, and to my eyes it's shape is a bit turkey-like! You deserve to brag about it. I love rutabaga, too, but some kind of rot or something always "melts" my attempts at rutabaga or turnips so I've stopped trying to grow them.

This year I planted Lutz Winterkeeper at the end of May for a fall storage beet and some of them looked to be nearly the size of my head when I hilled dirt over them in Oct. to protect them from freezing. We just finished up the other smaller varieties today, so I'll be pulling one next week. If you don't mind, I can post a pick here. Folks claim they stay tender even when they get huge, so we'll see.

kath

Kath:
I'm really interested in your opinion of Lutz beets, so after you sample them, please post on here. I have thought about growing them next year, as we love beets and as you say, they are supposed to be good keepers.
Thanks!
Chris

[Alpinejs]

I absolutely feel that a pastie is not a pastie unless it has rutabaga in it.
Not sure why, but it makes a world of difference. Try going to No. Minn. or
U.P.Michigan and suggesting a pastie without rutabaga and you will likely
be doing jail time!! And, dservedly so.

[akgardengirl]

Oh, that's state fair material right there!
Sue

[habitat_gardener]

I keep hearlng good things about rutabagas so I'm going to have to try some again. I know I've tried them from the farmers' market and they weren't memorable. Or maybe I'll have to grow them! I didn't like zucchini until I grew it myself, and now I love it.

Someone at the community garden grew some beets that size. I think she got the seed from another gardener who gets seed from Germany -- he grows head-size kohlrabis every year.

[kath]

We're supposed to get snow tonight followed by a few really cold nights so the beets were pulled tonight- I'll post pics in another thread.

kath