Variety field guide
What to expect from Laurentian Rutabaga
Laurentian is a biennial rutabaga selection grown for fast roots, greens, succession planting, storage types, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
The Canadian heirloom of smooth texture and golden taste. ‘Laurentian’ produces globe-shaped roots with purple crowns and creamy yellow flesh that’s fine-grained, sweet, and mild. The flavor improves with frost, developing a buttery depth ideal for roasting or mashing. Uniform roots and strong tops make harvest easy and consistent.
About Laurentian
Laurentian is a biennial selection of rutabaga, with a rosette habit and an expected height or spread of 13–18 in. It is best suited to fast roots, greens, succession planting, storage types, and seed saving. Notable traits include harvest roots before pithiness and use tender greens where appropriate; crisp and mild when young, becoming stronger with age or stress.
Keep field notes on Laurentian so its performance can be compared with other rutabaga selections under the same planting date and care.
History and provenance
These root crops were selected in Eurasian farming traditions for rapid growth, root form, storage, greens, and cold-season use. Small salad radishes, long daikon types, turnips, and rutabagas differ in species or crop group and should not share one generic maturity or harvest description. Rutabaga Seeds - Laurentian belongs to a plant lineage long associated with Mediterranean and Old World garden agriculture. It was selected over generations for kitchen, market, ornamental, or herbal value and remains useful in modern home gardens.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Brassica napus L. Napobrassica Group |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity | 90-99 Days |
| Germination | 5-10 Days at 50–65 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/2 in |
| Plant height / spread | 13–18 in |
| Growth habit | Rosette |
| Spacing | 6 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Laurentian from seed
Sow 1/2 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 5-10 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 50–65 °F. Germination preparation: Direct sow into a prepared, weed-free seedbed; avoid disturbing developing roots or dense stands. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/2 in. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring/Fall and provide full sun. Space plants 6 in apart with 18 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Hardy. Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing
Harvest and use
Approximately 90-99 Days, from direct sowing to market-size roots and greens. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest roots before pithiness and use tender greens where appropriate. Uses: Fast roots, greens, succession planting, storage types, and seed saving. Flavor: crisp and mild when young, becoming stronger with age or stress. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated Brassica napus. Best uses include fast roots, greens, succession planting, storage types, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: crisp and mild when young, becoming stronger with age or stress.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Laurentian plants that match the expected rosette habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated Brassica napus. Compatible Brassica napus crops can cross. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Laurentian is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Flea beetles, imported cabbageworm, cabbage loopers, aphids, slugs, root maggots, and clubroot risk where the pathogen is present. Management: Use rotation, insect netting before pests arrive, regular leaf inspection, sanitation, and well-drained soil. Do not plant the same brassica family repeatedly in one bed. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Laurentian
When is Laurentian ready? Use 90-99 Days. Approximately 90-99 Days, from direct sowing to market-size roots and greens. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 5-10 Days at about 50–65 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 13–18 in with a rosette habit. Space plants 6 in apart and rows 18 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated Brassica napus. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
