If you ’re contrive your natural spring orwinter vegetable garden , then you ’re likely search for ways to get your favorites . One vegetable that may not have made your list is the turnip . It might not be as popular as it once was , but this radical veggie is tasty and leisurely to develop , making it well deserving a try !
Turnips are crunchy , crude , and a little sweet . They even have a farsighted and interesting history as one of the first vegetablescarved into jack - o’-lanterns . If you ’re curious about this simple-minded veg , then you ’re in the right space . Here ’s everything you necessitate to cognise about how to mature turnips .
When to plant turnips
turnip grow quickly and are a insensate - hardy veggie , make them a great option for any spring garden . you could plant white turnip seed as early as three weeks before the last frost of the year and continue plant them throughout fountain . They do n’t fare well in the heat of summertime , though . To avoid originate them in the heating plant , the latest spring planting fourth dimension should be a month and a half to two months before summertime .
you’re able to also spring up turnips in the fall , and in some regions , in the wintertime . temperature that are consistently at or below 25 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit can damage or kill turnip . As long as the winters in your area are typically warmer than that , you’re able to extend to grow turnip throughout wintertime . For a fall crop , it ’s best to await until the rut of summer begins to decline . you may plant turnip in late summer for an early gloaming harvest . However , be cognizant that they ’ll need more water .
Planting turnips
Like mostroot vegetables , turnips do n’t transplant well . This means starting them indoors is not an option . However , engraft turnip from cum is simple and reliable . commence by loosening the soil and polish off rock or dust . Compacted soil or large rocks could affect the way the turnip root grow . turnip are not abysmally picky about soil quality , but immix in a small amount of compost can be good .
You have a couplet of option for seeding turnips . you’re able to break up the seed across your garden and thin them , so the white turnip are more or less 5 inch apart once they sprout . If you do , water the soil before seed them . Turnip sprouts are comestible , so you may eat the ones you thinly . Alternatively , you may space the ejaculate 1 apart and thin them to 5 inches later . you could also space the seed 5 inch asunder and forgo the thinning entirely . No matter which method acting you take , only spread over the seed with a quartern - inch of soil .
Caring for turnips
white turnip do n’t require much upkeep , but there are a twain of things that can hold open you a lot of trouble . When you first plant life turnips , or when you first see them get down to pullulate , cover them with row covers or pest veiling . Turnip leave of absence are especially tasty to caterpillar andaphids that can be annoyingif you be after on harvesting white turnip greens .
Brassica rapa also prosper with consistent and regular moisture . They can develop mildew or other fungal infection if you overwater them or if their leaves become too wet . It ’s best to irrigate them more frequently with small amounts of water and to water them below their leaves rather than from command processing overhead time . This means turnips in reality do quite well with trickle irrigation systems .
skunk can flummox an issuing to untested turnips , since they are sensible to any fray of their roots . Weed on a regular basis , particularly while the turnips are still vernal , but do so carefully and by hand . Adding a layer of mulch around the turnips can help inhibit weeds and keep the land moist .
When and how to harvest turnips
Most turnip diversity are ready to be glean in a small under two months , with some former varieties being ready after only a month and a half . you could harvest turnip greens to begin with , typically beginning one month after implant . However , turnips are edible even as sprout , which you may glean a few weeks after you plant them .
Size is the most significant factor when resolve when to glean your turnips . low turnips are tippy and tasty , while big turnip become woody and unpleasant to eat . Harvesting turnips earlier rather than later issue better results , particularly if you ’re planning to make them into your pet turnip soup .
To harvest turnip cat valium , cut the leaves off the works . If you want to reap both the parting and the root , then only take a few leaf at a time . Leave about 3 column inch attached to the base of the plant and the leaves may grow back .
To harvest the ascendent , dig or attract up the integral plant . If you dig , do so gently to avoid damage the root . Pulling the white turnip is faster . Grasp the plant as skinny to the ground as you could and pull up softly but unwaveringly . Wiggle the plant from side to side if there is resistance .
Turnips are a versatile and delicious beginning vegetable . you may eat them stark naked or ready and use them in almost any dish that call for carrot or Irish potato . turnip can grow rapidly , and in almost any time of year , which makes them an excellent choice for community of interests garden or intellectual nourishment relief programs . Additionally , they salt away well in theme cellars , so you may have tasty turnips even in the heat of summer .
