
Turnips are a cool-weather root vegetable that germinate in only a few days.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Turnips
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Many turnips are grown not for the root itself but for the turnip greens, which can be cooked or used raw in salads. Younger turnip greens will not be as bitter as mature leaves. If you are growing turnips primarily for their greens, almost any turnip variety will do.
For roots, try these …
- ‘Gold Ball’: yellow skin, soft, yellow flesh; harvest at 3 inches in diameter for maximum sweetness (will grow to 4 to 5 inches)
- ‘Just Right’: pure white roots, delicious greens; extremely cold-tolerant; stores well; not recommended for a spring crop, as it tends to bolt early
- ‘Purple Top White Globe’: delectable leaves; great for an extended production of greens; roots have purple shoulders; heirloom
- ‘Golden Globe’: roots with amber skin; firm, crisp, sweet flesh; tasty tops.
Cooking Notes
If you’re wondering how to cook turnips, you’re not alone. Both the turnip greens and roots are very nutritious. Turnip roots should generally be peeled and sliced before using them. Both turnip roots and turnip greens are usually cooked, though they can be eaten raw if young and tender.
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A sack of seed depends on how much land and quantity you are wanting to plant. Check out Sustainable Seed Company site. for seed counts and germination, to give you more specific quantities in a sack.
Wash & quarter turnips. Drizzle & toss with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt & Rosemary leaves. Bake at 375, for about 30 minutes, tossing with a spatula about every 10 minutes to evenly brown them. Delicious!
in what altitude is turnip grown? and in which variety does it fall?
Turnips grow at low and high altitudes. They are cool-weather vegetables so ideal for high altitudes. Plant four weeks before the last frost date.
Best thing I do with turnips is make cole slaw with them. Delicious.
I am starting a food plot using turnips. Plot is 8000 to 10000 square feet. Any thoughts on how many lbs of seed needed using a broadcast spreader?
My turnips have flowered, can I still eat the turnip bulb?
Once the turnip goes to flower/seed, the root becomes woody and tough and isn’t suitable for eating. Turnips are biennials, so they will naturally flower and go to seed (called bolting) the second year. Occasionally, though, they may bolt the first year if the plant is under stress, such exposed to extreme temperatures (both cold or hot) or lacks enough nutrients or water.
I grow 60 acres of turnips. This year we are experimenting with a harvester. To harvest we had to use a topper first to top the leaves. There is still approx 3" of stalk left on top. Can we store these with that stalk still on them.
On such a large scale, it might be best to contact your county’s Cooperative Extension Service for advice. For contact information, please see:
http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services