How to Grow Turnips
Instructions for Growing Turnip Plants
in Your Vegetable Garden
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting |
*** Easy to Grow ***
Turnips are a delightful, mild root vegetable and a gardening favorite because they're so easy to grow. The turnip leaves can also be eaten as nutritious cooked greens (like spinach) or the tender young leaves mixed in with other garden greens in salads.
Gardening Tip - Turnips don't like competition from other plants. Do your best to keep turnip beds free from weeds, and do not hill the soil around the exposed vegetable.
How to Grow Turnips - Nutrition Information:
Under optimal growing conditions, turnip roots offer: Dietary Fiber, Chromium, Potassium, Manganese, Folate, Vitamin C, B6, C, Calcium, Copper
the Turnip Greens offer: Dietary Fiber, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, Chromium, Manganese, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Iron, Vitamin C, A, E, K, B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus
How to Grow Turnips - Climate & Growing Conditions:
Turnips perform best in cool gardening climates, but will grow nearly anywhere (depending upon the variety).They're frost resistant. In fact, the roots taste sweeter once there's been a light frost.
How to Grow Turnips - Prepare the Garden Soil:
Turnips prefer well-drained soil and full (or partial) sun. Garden beds should be prepared with rotted manure and compost, ensuring friable (loose crumbly) soil that will allow maximum root development. For optimal growing conditions, prepare the garden plot soil to a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0. Note: this vegetable favors garden beds that were well fertilized and well-worked for another crop last season.
Gardening Tip - Do not plant turnips in an area that had cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc. last season. You may wish to review our information on companion planting.
How to Grow Turnips - Planting:
Make your rows 10” apart, and ¼” deep. Drop the turnip seeds in, and cover with garden compost. Water. When seedlings appear in two weeks, avoid troubles that come with plant crowding by thinning turnips to one plant every 4”.
Extend your harvest period by planting smaller crops every three weeks.
How to Grow Turnips - Watering:
Do not let the garden beds dry out… keep evenly watered (but not soggy).
How to Grow Turnips - Fertilizing:
To boost growth, you can (if you wish) apply a dose of complete fertilizer (or compost tea) one month after planting. Additional fertilizer shouldn't be needed. Too much fertilizer will increase the leaf growth, and cause the roots to be small.
How to Grow Turnips - Gardening Challenges:
Turnips are not generally bothered by plant diseases, but some pests do find them tasty: aphids, caterpillars, grubs.
Gardening Tip - Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Grow Turnips - Harvest Turnips:
Turnips normally reach maturity in two or three months. To harvest, pull the entire plant from the ground. Turnip's flavor will be a little sweeter if you're able to harvest after a light frost.
Note: Be sure to harvest before they become too woody and tough in texture.
How to Grow Turnips - Storage:
Cold Storage
Lift the turnips from the soil, cut the tops off, and store in bushel baskets or crates in a cellar. Or, if you’re in an area where the ground doesn’t freeze, simply leave in the garden soil until you’re ready to use.
How to Can Vegetables - Turnips
How to Freeze Vegetables - Turnips
Read Gardening Tips From Our Readers
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Note: the advice and information contained herein is based upon our experience and study. As with any advice, please apply at your own discretion.