Turnip Seeds 40g

Turnip (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa, Rapifera Group) is a cool-season root vegetable in the cabbage family, forming round to oval roots that are typically white shading to purple at the crown. The crisp flesh has a clean, mildly peppery flavour that mellows and sweetens after frost, perfect roasted, mashed, simmered in stews, or shredded raw into winter salads. The leafy tops are edible too, cut young as tender greens, so a single sowing rewards you twice.

Planting

Direct-sow in the cool season, ideally autumn through early winter when temperatures sit around 10–18°C; avoid summer heat, which produces rough, bitter roots. Place seed about 1 cm deep under a light cover of soil, in rows roughly 23–30 cm apart, in full sun with 6 or more hours of direct light. Seedlings emerge in about 4–10 days. When they reach 5 cm tall, thin to 10–15 cm apart, and sow successionally every 2–3 weeks for a steady supply.

Fertilizing

Turnips are nitrogen-hungry. Work nitrogen into fertile, well-drained sandy loam at planting, then once plants reach 8–10 cm, sidedress with light, frequent feeds every 3–4 weeks. A balanced NPK 20-20-20 works well; fertilizing to a soil test gives the best result. Aim for a soil pH around 6.0–7.5.

Care

Keep the soil evenly moist, giving about 2.5 cm of water weekly, as dry spells cause small, woody, or split roots. Watch for flea beetles and cabbage root maggots, along with aphids and slugs; floating row covers set at sowing help. Rotate away from other brassicas to curb clubroot and black rot. Harvest about 40–60 days after sowing, when roots are 5–8 cm across; larger roots turn woody.