While often overshadowed by more popular root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, turnips deserve our appreciation and recognition. Their unique earthy flavor, slightly sweeter than a potato’s, is a result of proper cooking methods. Moreover, turnips are low-maintenance, easy to grow, nutritious, and can be stored for an extended period. They’re ideal for small gardens due to their compact size.
As someone who enjoys growing turnips annually, I find them fuss-free when given the right soil preparation and adequate water supply. Their vibrant colors add a pop of excitement to any plate, despite having a reputation among children as one of the less appealing vegetables. In my opinion, they’re delicious and deserve more credit. The benefits of turnips go beyond their culinary appeal; they’ve been valued for centuries due to their impressive health benefits.
The Romans and Greeks considered them an essential crop for both human and animal consumption. If you’re convinced by their merits, here’s how to get started with growing your own turnips.
Turnip Varieties
The world of turnips is diverse and fascinating! Among the most popular varieties are Purple Top, Scarlet Queen, Tokyo Cross, Market Express, Golden Ball, Gilfeather, and Just Right. Let’s start with Purple Top, a staple in many home gardens due to its ease of growth and relatively quick harvest period (around 50 days). Not only is the bulb edible, but young leaves can also be harvested for added nutrition. For maximum sweetness, pluck them when they reach three inches in diameter.
Scarlet Queen, on the other hand, boasts a striking appearance with crisp white flesh against its red skin. I enjoy cooking both the bulb and leaves together for a delightful combination. Tokyo Cross is another standout variety, bred for faster maturity (as little as 30 days) and less likelihood of bolting. These beautiful white globes can be left to grow, but it’s still important to harvest them before they become larger than a tennis ball – this turnip was an AAS winner!
Market Express is the perfect choice for those seeking a quick-growing turnip, ready in as little as 30 days for baby size and around 50 days for larger. Planting Market Express alongside a slower-maturing variety ensures a full season of harvests. Golden Ball, also known as Orange Jelly Turnip, is an heirloom variety from France dating back to 1854. The flesh is yellow or orange depending on the soil type – simply delightful!
Harvest them when they reach golf ball size for the best flavor and aroma. Gilfeather, a Vermont heirloom variety, may not be the prettiest, but its creamy white flesh and sweet, mild taste make it a standout. Last but certainly not least, we have Just Right, a hybrid turnip that holds its quality even when allowed to grow large – an AAS award winner! With so many varieties to choose from, there’s something for every turnip enthusiast out there.
Other types
When it comes to cultivating turnip greens, did you know that some varieties are specifically bred to produce delicious leaves at the expense of edible roots? For instance, cultivars like ‘Topper’, ‘Seven Top’, and ‘All Top’ fall into this category. These unique varieties focus on developing robust foliage for culinary use, leaving their underground structures useless for consumption.
How to Plant Turnips
Zones
When to Plant Turnips
When it comes to planting turnips, timing is everything. These root vegetables thrive in cool weather, making spring and fall ideal seasons for cultivation. For a bountiful harvest in late spring, wait until the soil can be worked comfortably, about 2-3 weeks prior to the final frost date of your area’s predictable winter. If you’re aiming for a fall harvest, sow turnips in late summer, roughly 70 days before the first autumn frost is expected.
Additionally, quick-maturing varieties can be planted early in the fall for a late-season harvest, should winter arrive later than usual in your region.
How to Sow
When it comes to sowing turnip seeds, direct planting is the way to go. I’ve learned this the hard way through failed transplant attempts. Start by planting seeds about half an inch deep in a line, spaced around 4-6 inches apart. Keep in mind that you’ll want to leave enough space between rows for proper growth – aim for 12-24 inches of separation. It’s not uncommon for germination to occur within 6-10 days, so be sure to keep an eye out for those little green shoots emerging from the soil.
If you’re concerned about bird and slug damage, consider using cloches to provide young turnips with some protection as they get established.
Sun Requirements
When it comes to providing optimal conditions for turnips, full sun is an ideal environment. As a root crop, turnips are naturally shielded from harsh sunlight while underground, as long as the soil isn’t allowed to become too parched. This allows them to thrive without compromising their delicate growth needs. Additionally, turnips can also tolerate partial shade, making them a versatile addition to any garden layout.
Soil Requirements
For optimal growth, turnips require a specific type of soil that’s characterized by its loose, fertile, and well-draining nature – all traits that can be achieved by incorporating compost or well-rotted manure into the earth. Ideally, this process should take place 2 weeks prior to planting, with a focus on loosening and amending the soil to a depth of at least 6-8 inches.
How to Care for Turnips
Watering
To cultivate healthy water turnips, a delicate balance between moisture and drought must be struck. Roots that are allowed to dry out excessively before being rehydrated can crack and split, while prolonged dryness leads to smaller, more bitter, woody roots. Conversely, overwatering is also detrimental, so it’s essential to monitor the soil conditions carefully. Simply dig a shallow trench near the base of each plant to check for moisture levels; if the soil feels dry, it’s time to water.
Aim to provide approximately an inch of water per week. Additionally, applying a layer of mulch around the plants will help retain moisture and promote optimal growth.
Weeding
To ensure a bountiful harvest of turnips, it’s crucial to maintain a weed-free environment in your garden. This is particularly important when cultivating root vegetables like turnips, as unwanted plants can compete with the turnip roots for water and nutrients. Regularly remove weeds by hand or with a tool, making sure to get rid of them before they have a chance to take hold and interfere with your turnip crop’s growth.
Fertilizer
To boost the vitality of your turnip crop, consider providing a mid-season boost via a compost application. This simple yet effective technique can help remedy any nutritional deficiencies that may be hindering your plants’ ability to thrive. In addition to this approach, keep an eye out for signs of starvation such as yellowing leaves or stunted growth.
If you notice these warning signs, try supplementing with a balanced liquid fertilizer to provide the necessary nutrients and get your turnips back on track.
Mulching
Bolting
When cultivating turnips, it’s essential to mitigate stress factors that can cause them to bolt prematurely. This typically occurs when plants receive inadequate water, poor soil quality or excessive heat. To prevent this issue, ensure your turnip crop thrives in fertile soil with good drainage. Strategically plan your planting schedule to avoid the hottest periods of the year and guarantee consistent moisture levels.
This will help your turnips grow healthily and reduce the likelihood of bolting.
If your plants do bolt, you can either harvest them immediately, consuming both leaves and root as is, or permit the plant to complete its life cycle, saving seeds for replanting next season. Be aware that simply snipping off seeds won’t reverse the bolting process, so it’s not a viable solution. Instead, focus on providing optimal growing conditions and harvesting your turnip crop in a timely manner.
Common Problems and Solutions for Growing Turnips
While growing turnips is often a straightforward process, unexpected issues can arise. To ensure a successful harvest, it’s essential to monitor your plants for potential pitfalls.
Anthracnose
To combat anthracnose, it’s essential to be proactive in maintaining a healthy environment for your plants. The fungus manifests as small, gray lesions that can ultimately prove fatal to leaves. If left unchecked, it can spread to the roots and cause rot. To prevent this from happening, make sure to control weeds, rotate crops regularly, and avoid overwatering your plants.
While these measures are crucial in preventing the onset of anthracnose, if the issue persists, consider applying an organic fungicide as a last resort.
Alternaria Leaf Spot
The symptoms of this disease are characterized by the appearance of yellow spots that mature into a sooty black center, ultimately leading to leaf wilting. This affliction is more likely to occur in warm, humid environments. To mitigate its spread, it’s essential to adopt good agricultural practices such as crop rotation, weed control, and aphid management. Furthermore, water your plants at the base rather than directly on their leaves.
Damping Off
When seedlings exhibit signs of collapse and death, it’s often due to damping off, a fungal issue that flourishes in moist environments. To combat this, make sure the soil drains well and take precautions to maintain cleanliness around your gardening tools.
Aphids
When you notice curled, yellow, or deformed leaves on your plants, it’s likely due to aphid infestation. These pesky insects typically reside on the underside of the leaves, where they feed on sap and excrete a sticky substance called honeydew that can lead to the growth of black sooty mold. To tackle this issue, start by using a powerful jet of water to dislodge the aphids from their hiding spots.
As an added precaution, consider applying neem oil or organic pyrethrum to your plants to prevent further infestation and ensure a healthier growing environment.
Cabbage Maggot
A telltale sign of these pesky flies is the presence of tunnels on the surface of your plants’ roots. What’s more concerning is that despite their presence, your plants will start to wilt without any visible insect activity. This is because the adult flies lay eggs in the soil, and the larvae that hatch subsequently feed on the plant itself. To effectively eliminate these unwanted visitors, consider using lime or wood ash as a natural deterrent.
Downy Mildew
Turnip cultivation can be severely impacted by downy mildew, a fungal disease characterized by the formation of a grey powder on leaf surfaces. This powdery growth can ultimately lead to yellowing and plant death if left untreated. To prevent the onset of this common affliction, ensure adequate air circulation between plants by maintaining proper spacing. Additionally, when selecting seeds, opt for resistant strains to minimize the risk of infection.
Black Leg
If your plant is afflicted by the black leg fungus, you may notice a telltale sign: a black streak on the stem that eventually rots away near the soil surface. You might also spot small, initially discreet black spots that gradually enlarge in size. If caught early enough, this fungal issue can be effectively addressed by removing infected leaves and treating with an organic fungicide.
To prevent the spread of the disease and promote healthy growth, consider rotating your crops and keeping weeds under control.
Harlequin Bug or Stink Bug
Stink bugs are notorious for their peculiar appearance, characterized by a shield-like shape that can make them easily recognizable. What’s more unsettling is their propensity to feed on the sap of your plants, literally draining the life force from them. These pesky insects tend to abandon ship when threatened, making it challenging to eliminate them completely. When attempting to squash them, be sure to also search for and destroy any egg clusters they may have left behind.
To prevent these unwelcome visitors from taking up residence in your garden, ensure you thoroughly clear away any piles of vegetation where they are known to overwinter.
Cutworms
The pesky larvae, also known as grey grubs, are notorious for their ability to chomp down on plant stems and roots. When threatened, they retreat to the safety of the soil’s surface, curling up into a protective ball. To effectively manage these unwanted garden visitors, I’ve found that applying wood ash liberally around affected plants can be an effective deterrent – its dehydrating properties help to eliminate the grubs’ food source and habitat.
It’s also crucial to maintain a weed-free environment, as these pesky critters often find shelter in dense vegetation.
Blister Beetles
If you’re noticing your turnip plants are being ravaged by pests, leaving behind a trail of defoliation, it’s possible that blister beetles are to blame. These unwanted visitors can display metallic, grey or black coloring. While adult beetles can be squashed using gloves to prevent harm, it’s essential to avoid direct contact with bare hands as their secretions can cause excruciating pain and irritation to skin, eyes and mucous membranes.
When dealing with an infestation, I’ve found that organic pyrethrum-based sprays provide the most effective means of knocking down these pesky beetles.
Early Blight or Cercospora
Turnip fungal disease, caused by excessive rainfall or humidity, manifests in a distinctive pattern. Initially, tiny yellow blotches appear on both leaf surfaces, gradually evolving into larger grey patches. To prevent the spread of this affliction, it’s essential to meticulously remove weeds and adopt a watering strategy that avoids overhead irrigation.
Clubroot
Clubroot, a fungal disease, can manifest itself in yellowing leaves, but its distinctive symptom lies in the shape and condition of the turnip roots. Misshapen, clubbed or rotting roots are telltale signs that you’re dealing with this pesky problem. Unfortunately, once infected, the only viable solution is to remove and destroy the affected turnips to prevent the disease from spreading.
To minimize the risk of clubroot in your garden, it’s essential to practice regular crop rotation and opt for varieties that have built-in resistance to this fungal foe.
Turnip Mosaic
To prevent the spread of turnip mosaic virus, ensure that aphids are not present near your plant. This pesky pest is responsible for transmitting the virus to your crop. If you’re already dealing with an infestation, be on the lookout for ring-shaped spots on the leaves that eventually turn brown and become surrounded by necrotic lesions. To avoid this issue altogether, choose resistant varieties of turnips and maintain a weed-free environment around your plants.
Companion Plants for Turnips
When it comes to companion planting with turnips, some people swear that they can thrive alongside almost any vegetable. However, after experimenting and observing the results, I’ve discovered that certain plants make excellent neighbors for turnips, including peas, cabbage, nasturtium, bush beans, onion, garlic, vetch, lettuce, Swiss chard, cauliflower, and radish. On the other hand, it’s generally recommended to avoid planting turnips near potatoes.
How to Harvest Turnips
Seeds
When growing turnips, it’s natural for them to bolt to seed if left long enough. This can be beneficial if you’re looking to save some seeds for next year’s harvest. To achieve this, simply select a few robust plants and allow them to flower in the spring. As the seed pods mature, let them turn brown before harvesting.
Once collected, store the pods in brown paper bags indoors to dry completely. Once fully dry, break open each pod to reveal the seeds within.
Finally, transfer the seeds to a paper envelope for long-term storage.
Leaves
When harvesting arugula, it’s essential to prioritize the smaller, more delicate leaves for their ideal use in salads. For cooking purposes, such as adding to dishes or wilting in a pan, slightly larger leaves can be utilized. However, if the leaves become too large, they tend to develop an unpleasant bitterness, making them less desirable for consumption.
Roots
Once the 5-6 week mark has passed for early varieties and 6-10 weeks for standard types, the roots are finally ready to be harvested. When it comes to harvesting turnips, a good rule of thumb is to look for them to be roughly the size of a golf ball or tennis ball. While some turnip varieties can be enjoyed when allowed to grow larger, it’s always best to check on the specific characteristics of your own plants.
To ensure a successful harvest, begin by gently digging around the root to loosen it in the soil. From there, simply pull the turnip out of the ground with a gentle tug.
Storage
When collecting leaves, remember that they quickly wilt if left unattended. To preserve them for a longer period, wash them thoroughly and store them in a plastic bag or cloth wrap within the fridge. I’ve successfully kept them fresh for up to four days using this method. For optimal storage of roots, keep them refrigerated for as long as two weeks. Alternatively, turnips can be stored in a root cellar or cool basement where they can remain fresh for several months.
To store turnip roots, place them in a single layer covered with straw, ensuring regular checks to prevent spoilage. When it comes to preparing your turnip harvest, the possibilities are endless! Enjoy them in soups, stews, fried, boiled, sautéed, roasted, or even raw in salads. Don’t be afraid to experiment and get creative – you might just convert your kids into turnip enthusiasts. Do you have any exceptional recipes to share on how to utilize your turnip harvest?
