The difference between swedes & turnips is evident when you see the two side by side. The turnip is smaller, smoother & rounder than the swede. Turnips have a whiter flesh than swedes.
Turnip
Swede
Swedes came from Sweden and were known as the Swedish turnip & this name was shortened to Swede. Swedes are frost proof, but turnips are not – so swedes can stay in the garden all winter & turnips must be harvested before the cold weather.
Swede – Latin name Brassica napus napobrassica
- swedes are bigger than turnips
- yellow/orange flesh
- roughish, coarser skin
- larger than turnips – more like an elongated coconut in size, or an adult shoe!
- crop over a very long time
- can be left in the soil throughout the winter
- withstand heavy frosts when in the ground
- sweet, mild taste
- originated from Sweden
- have a collar
- related to turnips
Turnip – Latin name Brassica rapa
- turnips are a fast growing crop, ready five to eight weeks from sowing to harvesting
- smaller than swedes – usually golf ball size or a little larger
- white flesh
- smooth, silky skin
- round shape
- require a higher level of fertility than swedes because grow faster
- crop earlier than swedes
- cannot stand hard frosts so must be lifted from ground in autumn