Turnip
Select Your Climate
Turnip’s distinctive flavour and texture can be utilised in so many ways in the kitchen, and you can eat the whole plant from top to toe.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Full sun or part shade (at least 3 hours sun); good drainage; avoid over-watering.
Soil:
Loose, well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.
How to start: SEED: Sow direct in the ground (best) or in punnets into seed-raising mix. When sowing direct may a 10-20mm deep trench and sprinkle seeds along the trench and cover them with 10mm soil. If sowing in punnets, sow 10mm deep. Keep moist. Germinates in 7-10 days. SEEDLING: Plant in the ground when seedlings are large enough to handle easily. Space them 10-15cm apart, in rows 40cm apart. Water in and mulch with straw.
How to grow: Keep moist and mulch along the rows with straw. Apply seaweed solution montly. Thin to 15cm.
When to harvest: Start harvesting leaves from 4 weeks, always leaving 4-6 leaves on the plant. Harvest the root from 7 weeks, from when they're golf ball sized.
Troubleshooting:
Snails and slugs; cabbage white butterfly; cabbage moth; aphids; whitefly; bolting
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide