Types of Turnips

Before learning how to grow turnips, you must understand the popular variants of this vegetable. Turnips are broadly divided into two categories: early turnips and main crops. 

Choosing the Turnip Variety

When growing turnips in the UK, you can choose from among the following variants:

• Oasis: The Oasis variant is white in colour and has a delicate, sweet and fruity flavour.

• Temari Red: This variant is small, rounded and scarlet red. The flesh is white with a red tinge. 

• Atlantic: This is an early variant turnip, with a purple top and white bottom. It is ideal for growing in containers or limited spaces.

• Sweetbell: This turnip variant can be eaten raw or stir-fried, and even the leaves are edible.

• Tokyo Cross: This is among the oldest varieties, with semi-globe, white roots that taste crisp and mild.

• Snowball: This turnip has a mild, sweet taste. It is harvested earlier and can be eaten raw.

When to Plant Turnips

For a regular harvest, you can sow seeds little and often from March onwards throughout the summer until August, as their germination and growth time is quite quick – they can be ready in approximately six weeks! 

As this crop prefers a cooler climate, to successfully grow turnips, sowing the seeds in early spring leads to an early harvest. Seeds that are sown in summer may take longer to germinate.

Earlier varieties are usually more tender and flavourful. Main-crop turnips, which can be harvested as late as November or December, tend to be larger with bigger roots, but they often need more care and can taste a little bland.

Tips for Sowing and Growing Turnips

• Turnip seeds can be sown directly in their growing position, thinly, approximately an inch deep and 6 inches apart. 
• It is best to grow turnips outdoors, but they can also be grown in containers.
• To start an early growing season, turnip seeds can be planted indoors from late winter.
• To sow turnip seeds outdoors, make holes about half an inch deep and scatter the seeds, and cover them lightly with soil and water regularly.
• If you are transplanting seedlings outdoors, make sure you keep them 6-9 inches apart.
• Thin out if necessary to give the bulbs a chance to grow into their space. If you prefer the flavour of a smaller turnip, you can lift them when they are about golf ball size.
• The soil to grow turnips must be well-drained, with good fertility. You can use fertilisers with potassium or phosphorus. 

Pest Protection and Plant Care

Like other brassicas, you need to be mindful of common pests and diseases. Here are some common problems you need to keep an eye out for when growing turnips.

• Clubroots will lead to stunted and distorted turnip bulbs.
• Cabbage root fly damages the root, leading to stunted growth and even death of the turnip plant.
• White blister often leads to a reduction in the yield of turnips while leading to lower-quality produce.
• Cabbage caterpillars often impact plants of the brassica family, including turnips.
• The white, powdery coating of powdery mildew causes the yellowing and wilting of leaves, reducing yield and making the plant vulnerable.
• Pigeons, slugs and snails are other common pests you should be aware of when growing turnips.
• Water the plants when the weather becomes dry, leading to bolting.
• Weeds must be removed regularly, especially when the turnip plants are young. 
• Fleece protection may be needed in the colder months, depending on your location. Keep the turnips well-weeded and watered to help prevent the skins from splitting and developing a woody texture.

How to Harvest Turnips

For those asking when to pick turnips – early variant turnips are ready to be harvested six weeks after sowing, while the main crop takes approximately ten weeks. When a turnip is left in the ground for too long, it becomes woody and bitter to taste.

Autumn-harvested turnips can be stored in a cool place with a covering of sand or similar for several weeks, or alternatively, they can be blanched and frozen.

Young turnip leaves taste peppery and can be eaten raw in salads. While larger leaves are often eaten by cooking them down.

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