{"id":2863,"date":"2020-04-13T04:45:24","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T04:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=2863"},"modified":"2020-04-13T04:45:24","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T04:45:24","slug":"turnip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/13\/turnip\/","title":{"rendered":"Turnip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brassica rapa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: It is probable that the turnip was\ndomesticated independently in two different places. Somewhere in the vicinity\nof Afghanistan and in the Eastern Mediterranean. It has been grown in both\nthose areas for several thousand years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Europe the large swollen roots have been grown for centuries as\nfood for animals and poor humans. They were scorned by the better off classes\nas only fit for animals and still carry a slight stigma to this day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Asia the turnip is looked upon quite differently and is a very\nimportant crop in both China and Japan. In those countries a whole range of\nvarieties exist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnip is best known for its swollen root,\nbut may also be grown for the tasty and nutritious leaves. Some varieties have\nbeen developed that produce an abundance of tender foliage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: The roots contain vitamin C, complex carbohydrates, soluble\nfiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, lysine and tryptophan. They contain\naround 130 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leaves are rich in vitamins A, C and K, chlorophyll and some\nimportant phytochemicals (including isothiocyanates). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop\nvalue<\/strong>: Turnips are a\nfast growing (40 – 50 days), hardy and easily grown multi- purpose crop that is\nquite useful for the homesteader. The roots provide a substantial root\nvegetable, the leaves are nutritious greens, the flower buds can be used like\nbroccoli (they are popular in Italy under the name broccoli raab) and the seeds\ncan be sprouted like cress or alfalfa. It is also a good source of feed for\nlivestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Turnip<\/strong>  
Seed facts
Germ temp: 40 (60 – 85) 90\u00b0F
Germ time: 1 – 5 days
5 days at 50\u00b0F
3 days at 59\u00b0F
2 days at 68\u00b0F
1 day at 77\u00b0F * Optimum
Seed viability: 3 years
Germination percentage: 75%+  

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Hardy
Growing temp: 40 (60 – 65) 85\u00b0F
Plants per person: 5
Plants per sq ft: 9
Height: 12\u02dd
Width: 8\u02dd  

Planting<\/strong>
Direct sow: 2 – 4 weeks before last frost
Fall crop: Plant 8 – 10 weeks before first fall frost  

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Days to harvest: 40 – 80
Yield per plant: 3 – 16 oz
Yield per sq ft: 2 – 4 lb <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: Turnip is a cool season biennial and in a suitable climate it is\npretty easy to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnip is most satisfactory as a fall crop,\nas the swollen roots can mature in the cool weather which develops their best\nflavor. It is less useful in spring, as warm temperatures make the roots less\npalatable and can also cause them to bolt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Turnip is\nhappiest when growing in a cool (60 to 65\u00b0F) and humid climate. Older plants\nare quite hardy and many types can tolerate severe frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 (6.8) 7.5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnips need to grow quickly for best quality. This requires a\nrich, loose, well-drained, but moisture retentive soil. Brassicas in general do\nwell on neutral, or even somewhat alkaline soil. If clubroot is a problem you\nshould keep the soil pH above 6.5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like other Brassicas, turnips are vulnerable to boron deficiency,\nbut this shouldn\u2019t be a problem if you add lots of organic matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Like most root crops turnips prefer a loose soil. If the soil is\nheavy, or compacted, it can be loosened by incorporating 2\u02dd of compost or aged\nmanure. Double digging is also very beneficial. A good practice is to plant\nturnips on soil that was thoroughly dug and manured for a previous crop (such\nas potatoes). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnips don\u2019t require a lot of nitrogen (unless you are growing\nthem for greens) as this encourages foliage growth rather than root growth.\nHowever if the soil is poor you may want to give them some fertilizer mix. You\nmay also want to give them lime, as it supplies calcium and decreases acidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: If you are growing turnips for their roots they will need full sun. Those grown for\ntheir leaves will do quite well in part shade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop rotation<\/strong>: Don\u2019t plant turnips where another\nBrassica crop has grown in the last 3 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Turnip really needs cool nights to\nencourage it to store sugars in the root. If nights are too warm it will use\nthose sugars for growth instead. This can make the roots pungent and quite\nunpleasant. Of course the only way you can get cool nights is by planting at\nthe right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong>: Biennial root crops store food in\ntheir roots as preparation for the coming winter. When you plant them in spring\nyou are going against this natural inclination, so they tend not to do so well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring isn\u2019t the ideal time to plant\nturnips because the weather gets warmer as they mature, which is the reverse of\nwhat you want. It\u2019s only worth planting them in spring if they have time to\nmature before the temperatures start to rise above 60 – 65\u00b0F (and nights are\nstill cool). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnip can survive temperatures of 25\u00b0F and can be sown as soon as\nthe soil can be worked in the spring (when it may only be 45\u00b0F). However it\u2019s\ngenerally better to wait until perhaps 4 weeks before the last spring\nfrost.  The first plantings may be grown\nunder cloches to speed up their growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall<\/strong> Turnips do much better as a fall crop, as\nthey have guaranteed cool weather when they are maturing and there are less\nproblems with insect pests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are usually planted from late summer\nonward, maybe 8 – 10 weeks before the first fall frost date (the actual\nplanting date depending upon when the weather starts to cool down). You want\nthem to reach maturity just before it starts to get cold. Then it won\u2019t matter\nwhen growth starts to slow down. A few freezes will even improve their flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter<\/strong>: In northern Europe fall planted turnips were once an important winter crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also plant turnips in the fall, for use the following\nspring as broccoli raab or spring\ngreens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sowing<\/strong>: You don\u2019t need many turnip plants at one time. Sow a few seeds every 2 weeks, rather than a large number all at once. The exception to this would be a fall planting for storage, or over- wintering in the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct\nsowing<\/strong>: Like most root\ncrops, turnips don\u2019t transplant well, so they are almost always direct sown.\nThe seed germinates easily at low temperatures and the hardy plants grows\nrapidly. They can be broadcast or sown in drills (shallow furrows). Sow the\nseeds \u00bc – \u00bd\u02dd deep and 1\u02dd apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beds<\/strong>: Space the plants 4 – 6\u02dd apart in the intensive beds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows<\/strong>: If growing in rows, space the plants 3 – 6\u02dd apart, with 18 – 24\u02dd between the rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best turnips are those that have grown rapidly, which can only\noccur if the plants have everything they need in the way of nutrients, light and water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinning<\/strong>: Like other direct sown root crops, they need careful thinning\nand weeding. Use the thinnings\nin the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: Give the plants a feed of compost tea, or liquid kelp, once they\nget going (remember, not too much nitrogen).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: Turnips don\u2019t need a lot of water, but it should be available\nconstantly and not fluctuate too much. If the soil gets too dry, they can get\nwoody and may even bolt. Irregular watering can cause the roots to crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: This is useful to prevent the soil drying out, to suppress\nweeds, to keep the soil cool and to supply nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A deep mulch of straw is helpful in winter to prevent the soil from freezing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting<\/strong>: Though the turnip is a biennial it will bolt in its first year\nin some circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The usual reason for bolting in turnips is stress caused by lack\nof water or nutrients, careless transplanting, or warm weather. It is natural\nfor plants to bolt in the spring of their second year. It is what they are\nsupposed to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests and disease<\/strong>: Turnips are close relatives of the cabbages and are vulnerable to the same pests and diseases (of which there are a considerable number.) Flea beetles and aphids have been the commonest problems for me, though usually there is no need to do anything about them, as these vigorous plants can handle them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roots<\/strong>: Spring roots should be harvested when they are still quite\nsmall, from 1\u00bd – 3\u02dd in diameter (this can sometimes be within a few weeks of\nsowing). When they get bigger than this they usually start to turn woody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter roots can be harvested when somewhat larger, as they stay\nin much better condition in the cold weather. They are at their best after\ntheir tops have been killed by frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After pulling the\nroot you should remove the tops (leave about 1\u02dd of stem) so they don\u2019t draw\nmoisture from the root. If the tops aren\u2019t too tough you can use them as a\ngreen vegetable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaves<\/strong>: If you are growing turnips for the\ntender young foliage, it can be harvested as needed. As with the roots, the\nleaves also taste better in cool weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is best to gather single leaves as\nthey get large enough. Don\u2019t take them from the growing point and only take 1\nor 2 leaves from a plant at one time, so it can continue to grow strongly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: In milder areas the roots can be left in the ground and\nharvested as needed (cover with mulch if it gets too cold). If the roots freeze\nyou want them to stay frozen, so cover with thick mulch. Repeated freezing and\nthawing will cause them to rot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people say leaving the roots in the ground through the winter\nis not a good idea as it may help Brassica pests to winter over. They advocate\nharvesting all of the roots in early winter and storing them in a root cellar\nat 34 – 40\u00b0F (if it\u2019s warmer than this they will eventually start growing).\nThey can also be stored outside in a clamp (see Potato<\/strong>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The root can be cut into cubes and frozen or canned (I can\u2019t say canned turnip has much appeal for me though). In the Middle East and Japan the roots are popular pickled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Turnip is cross-pollinated by insects, so only one variety\nshould be flowering at a time (or they should be caged or isolated by a half\nmile). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The usual method of obtaining seed is to plant it in late summer,\nprotect it over the winter (inside or outside) and allow it to flower in\nspring. It should be planted in a block so insects are likely to visit many\nplants without going to other plants nearby. Collect the dry pods when they are\nripe (they shatter easily so watch carefully), sift out the seeds, dry further\nand store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In milder areas turnips may self-seed if given the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forcing<\/strong>: Any surplus roots can be potted up and forced like those of\nchicory, for winter greens.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In England and Japan, where turnips are\npopular, they have different varieties for early and late planting, as well as\nsome very dependable F1 hybrids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purple types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are sometimes grown for greens as well as their roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purple\nTop White Globe:<\/strong> The old standard (55 days).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purple\nTop Milan <\/strong>– Italian\nheirloom with white flesh (50 days).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snowball <\/strong>– Beautiful white roots (40 days).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellow types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are prized for the edible root. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellow\/Amber\nGlobe <\/strong>– Heirloom\nfrom prior to 1840 (60 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golden Ball <\/strong>– Outstanding flavor (50-60 days).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oriental types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These grow fast and are almost like large radishes. They are quite\ngood raw and are often steamed or stir fried. Good root types include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tokyo Market<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Round<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Komach F1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tokyo Cross F1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hakurei F1<\/strong>  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nozawana<\/strong> is grown for its leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shogoin<\/strong>: A dual purpose crop grown for leafy greens or roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaf types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven\nTop<\/strong>: Important in the southeastern states for turnip greens. It can also be used for broccoli\nraab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tendergreen<\/strong>: This leaf variety is often thought of as a mustard and is treated like one, but it is actually a turnip.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small turnip roots (about 1\u00bd\u02dd diameter) can be eaten raw as a\nsubstitute for radish. They are actually milder and better flavored than most\nradishes. Cooking turnip can be tricky, under-cooking is definitely better than\nover-cooking, which can turn them into watery mush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flowers and immature seedpods are a tasty minor additions to salads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broccoli Raab<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this country this Italian delicacy can be found in markets\ncatering to Italian communities or foodies. The word raab means turnip, so the\nname means (logically enough) turnip broccoli. This is a pretty good\ndescription of the edible flower stalks it produces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t a highly productive crop, but it is a welcome one when\nit appears in early spring, when the garden often has little else to offer. It\nis grown in the same way as root turnip, with the aim of producing as big a\nroot as possible (there is no worry about it getting tough).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall<\/strong>: The best time to plant broccoli raab is in\nlate summer or fall, to mature the following spring. If it gets very cold,\ncover the plants with mulch to protect them, as they may die if it gets too\ncold. In early spring the plants bolt and send up slender flower stems. These\naren\u2019t nearly as large as broccoli heads, but are used in much the same ways.\nThe top 6 – 8\u02dd of stem is cut before the flower buds open and is steamed or\neaten raw. The plant will then produce more usable side shoots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong>: Broccoli raab can also be planted as a spring crop (it will act\nlike an annual, rather than a biennial), started 4 weeks before the last frost\ndate, though it doesn\u2019t usually do as well. When planted at the right time it\nwill grow fast and mature in as little as 5 weeks. In cool climates it may be\nsuccession sown several times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong>: There aren\u2019t many, though new ones are appearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sessantina Grossa <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring Raab<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brassica rapa Introduction: It is probable that the turnip was domesticated independently in two different places. Somewhere in the vicinity of Afghanistan and in the Eastern Mediterranean. It has been … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-root-veg","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/turnip.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2863"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2894,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2863\/revisions\/2894"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}