Swede

Companion Planting

• 
  Chaytor's Lavender
  

  Chaytor's LavenderExcellent pair

  • ❧Chaytor's Lavender attracts Parasitic wasps and Hoverflies, which prey on the Flea beetles and Aphids and more that attack Swede
  • ❧Swede draws Bees and Bumblebees and more that improve pollination for both
• 
  Common Vetch
  

  Common VetchExcellent pair

  • ❧Common Vetch attracts Ground beetles and Parasitic wasps and more, which prey on the Flea beetles and Aphids and more that attack Swede
  • ❧Common Vetch fixes nitrogen in the soil that Swede feeds on
  • ❧Swede acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Common Vetch
• 
  Hairy Vetch
  

  Hairy VetchExcellent pair

  • ❧Hairy Vetch attracts Ground beetles and Parasitic wasps and more, which prey on the Flea beetles and Aphids and more that attack Swede
  • ❧Hairy Vetch fixes nitrogen in the soil that Swede feeds on
  • ❧Swede acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Hairy Vetch

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Flea beetles

Flea beetles

Chrysomelidae (Alticini)

Shot-holes in seedling leaves, and a beetle that jumps when you lean in.

, Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

, Caterpillars

Caterpillars

Lepidoptera larvae

Holes, droppings, and a pest you can simply pick off by hand.

, Cutworms

Cutworms

Noctuidae

A seedling lying beside its own stump in the morning, cut clean through at soil level.

.

Attract Ground beetles

Ground beetles

Carabidae

Night-active ground hunters, taking slugs, cutworms and leatherjackets at soil level.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

, Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

, Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Coccinellidae

The one predator here where the adults hunt as hard as the larvae do.

to keep them in check — plant Common VetchExcellent, Hairy VetchExcellent and SainfoinGreat nearby.

🌼 Beneficial companion — draws Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

that help control Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

, Whitefly

Whitefly

Aleyrodidae

A puff of white when you brush the leaf, and stickiness underneath.

, Thrips

Thrips

Thysanoptera

Silvery streaking with black specks — the specks are how you tell them from mites.

, Caterpillars

Caterpillars

Lepidoptera larvae

Holes, droppings, and a pest you can simply pick off by hand.

, Flea beetles

Flea beetles

Chrysomelidae (Alticini)

Shot-holes in seedling leaves, and a beetle that jumps when you lean in.

, Colorado potato beetle

Colorado potato beetle

Striped beetle whose red grubs strip potato foliage fast.

, Stink bugs

Stink bugs

Shield-shaped bugs that pierce fruit, leaving dimples and hard spots.

, Leaf miners

Leaf miners

Agromyzidae

Pale trails inside the leaf — mostly harmless, and out of reach of any spray.

on neighbouring plants.

How to grow Swede

1. Sow0 weeks from frost
2. Germinates7 days
3. Space25 cm apart
4. GrowFull sun
5. Harvest~90 days

Water: Medium · Height: 40 cm · Soil: Deep, well-draining, slightly alkaline

Growing from seed

Direct-sow Swede outdoors around your last frost date, keeping seeds in cooler soil (around 10–18 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 7 days. Grow in full sun, spaced about 25 cm apart. Expect to harvest in roughly 90 days.

Swede seed rarely stays viable beyond 4 years — track what's still worth sowing.

Grow or find Swede

• Find Swede in the plant swap marketplace →
• Plan your Swede growing season →