Turnip

Turnip is a classic cool-season root with smooth, round to oval roots in white and soft purple, prized for crisp flesh and a mild, gently peppery flavour that sweetens in cold weather. The young roots are wonderful raw, roasted, or in stews, while the tender greens can be cooked like spinach, making this a true dual-purpose vegetable for the winter kitchen.

Planting

Turnip thrives in cool weather, growing best between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius; it tolerates frost but suffers below about -1 degrees Celsius and turns rough in heat. In Egypt, sow over the mild winter from autumn to early winter, roughly mid-September to November in the Delta and the north, and October to December in the warmer south. Sow directly about 1 centimetre deep in full sun with at least six hours of light, spacing rows around 23 to 30 centimetres apart. Seedlings appear in about 4 to 10 days; when they reach 5 centimetres tall, thin to 5 to 15 centimetres apart. Sow every 2 to 3 weeks for a steady supply.

Fertilizing

Turnips are nitrogen-hungry. Enrich fertile, well-drained sandy loam rich in organic matter at a pH near 6.0 to 7.5. Feed nitrogen at planting, and once plants reach 8 to 10 centimetres, sidedress lightly every 3 to 4 weeks. A balanced 20-20-20 also works well; ideally fertilize according to a soil test.

Care

Keep the soil evenly moist, giving about 2.5 centimetres of water weekly, since dry spells cause small, woody, split roots. Floating row covers at sowing exclude flea beetles and root maggots; rotating away from other brassicas limits clubroot and soil-borne disease. Harvest 40 to 60 days after sowing when roots reach 5 to 8 centimetres across.