Vegetable · Root crop
Turnips
Brassica rapa subsp. rapaTurnips deliver a fast, two-for-one harvest of peppery roots and tender greens, thriving in the cool bookends of the growing season. They ask for very little beyond loose soil and steady moisture. The one rule: thin seedlings promptly, or crowded roots will stay small and never bulk up properly.
Sow depth
½ in
Spacing
4 in · rows 12 in
Sun
Full sun
Germination
5–10 days
Time to harvest
40–60 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow turnips
- Sow from about 3 weeks before your last expected frost until about 3 weeks after your last expected frost.
- Sow from about 10 weeks before the first expected autumn frost until about 6 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Direct sow thickly, then thin — extras become tasty baby greens.Sow into loose, stone-free soil for smooth, well-shaped roots.Keep the seedbed consistently moist until germination is complete.
Thin seedlings early — crowding is the main cause of small roots.Water evenly to avoid woody texture and cracked roots.Weed regularly while plants are small and easily outcompeted.
Pull roots while still young and tender — oversized turnips turn woody.Harvest greens separately by snipping outer leaves as needed.Lift the whole crop before hard, prolonged freezes set in.
Companion plants
Peas fix nitrogen that hungry brassicas like turnips make good use of when grown in rotation nearby.
Watch out for
Flea beetles — These tiny jumping beetles riddle young leaves with small holes in warm, dry weather. Fine mesh over the row protects seedlings until they toughen up.