This easy, compact and fast-growing vegetable is best sown little and often for harvesting across the seasons. The young roots are delicious raw, roasted or added to stews, and you can cook the leaves too, in a similar way to kale. Turnips are quick and easy to grow from seed, ready to harvest in as little as six to ten weeks. They like cool, moisture-retentive soil, in an open, sunny location. You can also sow in large containers outdoors, for harvesting when small, as baby veg. Varieties are divided into two main types, according to sowing and harvesting times:.
When growing plants only to harvest their leaves turnip tops or Italian cima di rapa , sow in August or September, spacing rows just 15cm 6in apart. Water regularly, especially during dry weather, otherwise the roots will be small and woody. Dry conditions can also cause plants to bolt flower , which stops the root swelling. White larvae approximately 5cm 2in long, feed on the roots just below the soil surface, stunting growth and causing plants to wilt and die. Leaves are covered in small holes and damaged areas turn brown.
Seedlings are particularly susceptible. Grow plants under horticultural fleece and keep the soil moist. Turnips are grown as a root vegetable or for their green leaves,. Grow turnips in full sun or partial shade. Plant turnips in well-drained soil rich in organic matter with a soil pH of 5. Prepare planting beds in advance by applying garden compost and well-aged manure. Add sand or gypsum to heavy, clay soil or prepare beds by planting green manure and working it into the beds the season before seeding.
Turnip Planting Time. Turnips are a cool-weather crop that requires 30 to 60 days to come to harvest. Sow turnip seeds directly in the garden 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date in spring for a late spring or early summer harvest. Planting and Spacing Turnips. Turnips do not transplant well. Space wide rows 12 to 24 inches cm apart. Thin turnips grown for greens from 2 to 3 inches cm apart. Container Growing Turnips.
Turnips greens are easily grown in containers. Small turnip roots can be grown in wide containers at least 8 inches 20cm deep. Water and feeding. Keep the soil moist to keep turnips growing as fast as possible. Do not let the soil dry out. When turnips grow slowly their roots become woody and strong flavored. Side dress turnips with aged compost at midseason. Turnip Care. Keep planting beds weed-free.
Overcrowding may cause small roots. Mulch turnips with straw to protect the tuber tops from sunburn. Turnip Pests. Turnips can be attacked by aphids and flea beetles. Control aphids by pinching out infested foliage and hosing a large infestation off the plants. Keep weeds in the garden down to control flea beetles. Turnip Diseases.
Turnips can be affected by white rust fungus which will cause small white cottony blisters on the upper surface of leaves and a yellow discoloration on the undersides. Control is not necessary. This fungus causes leaves and stems become yellow, and roots to develop galls. Clubroot can live in the soil for at least 7 years after an initial infection.
To combat clubroot, remove all affected plants and roots from the area and rotate crops. You should avoid planting turnips or related family members in infected soil for at least 7 years. You may also consider planting resistant cultivars. This can cause dark spots to appear on turnip root flesh and can destroy the root system. It can also show up as rot on stored roots. To combat blackleg, practice regular crop rotation and remove any roots from the surrounding soil.
When to harvest your turnips is partially up to you. It largely depends on whether you are harvesting primarily for greens, whether you prefer larger, hearty bulbs or sweeter tender young roots. Other factors that affect harvest time include cultivar and growing conditions. To harvest both greens and roots, you can pull the whole plant with leaves and roots together when plants are about 2 inches in diameter, or you can top leaves when they are about a foot long and harvest roots later when they are 3 to 5 inches in diameter, depending on preference and variety.
Since cutting the leaves reduces the ability of the plant to store the solar energy needed to fuel root growth, only cut greens once. Another option is to remove only the outside leaves on each plant, allowing inner leaves to continue to stimulate root growth. This may allow you to harvest leaves from the same plant more than once. Harvest your fall crop after a few light frosts but before a hard freeze.
Although the plants can survive repeated freezes, repeated freezing and thawing can cause the texture of the roots suffers, causing cracks or rot. When properly stored, roots can keep for several months. The ideal storage temperature is between degrees F, so the fridge is ideal. If you have a larger crop, you can also keep them in a dry root cellar or garage. With their sharp tasty greens, sweet tender roots, and fascinating historical significance, turnips are so much more than they are given credit for!
So why not save a corner of your garden to plant a small patch this season? You can enjoy zesty green turnip salads all spring and hearty roots through fall. And winter if you store them well! What is your favorite thing about growing these tasty root crops? Share your stories in the comments below. See our TOS for more details. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. Heather Buckner hails from amongst the glistening lakes of Minnesota, and now lives with her family on a beautiful homestead in the Vermont Mountains.
She holds a bachelor of science degree in environmental science from Tufts University, and has traveled and worked in many roles in conservation and environmental advocacy, including creating and managing programs based around resource conservation, organic gardening, food security, and building leadership skills. Heather is a certified permaculture designer and student herbalist. She is also a fanatical gardener, and enjoys spending as much time covered in dirt as possible!
In beds or rows, the only trick to getting turnip seeds to germinate is to keep them moist for about three days. In sunny weather, I cover the seeded bed with a piece of burlap to keep it moist throughout the day. Turnip seed germination is fast and sure, and thinning is usually necessary. Yet turnips grow so quickly that a single session of thinning and weeding is all that is needed to help them dominate their space.
Flea beetles and other small insects may make small holes in young turnip greens, but the plants are so vigorous that they quickly outgrow the damage. Indeed, the only special care turnips need is regular water.
Keeping the soil lightly moist encourages the growth of luxuriant greens and big roots with no splits and cracks. Turnip greens taste best when they are young and have been exposed to several days and nights of cool weather. Similarly, turnip roots accumulate sugars as soil temperatures decline. For these reasons, it's best to harvest the season's best turnips after light frosts have arrived, but before your first hard freeze.
Ugly or excess turnips can be carved into turnip candle lanterns for Halloween.
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