Permapotes

Turnip

Turnip: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Turnip is a root vegetable valued for its tender flesh and vegetable flavour, which may be mild or more pronounced depending on variety and stage of development. It belongs to the species Brassica rapa and the Brassicaceae family, alongside cabbages and radishes. The swollen part at the base of the plant is the main portion eaten. It offers an alternative to sweeter root vegetables, with a flavour that can have a slight mustard-like note.

Shapes vary considerably. Some turnips are round or flattened, while others are elongated. Their skin may be white, yellow or two-toned, with a pink to purple upper part. The flesh is often white, but yellow-fleshed forms also exist. Skin colour therefore does not always describe the inside. Below the swelling, the plant continues into a finer root rather than maintaining the same thickness throughout.

Green leaves form a rosette above the swollen base. They may be lobed and more or less rough according to the type. Young leaves are edible too and provide a leafy vegetable quite different from the root on the plate. Some selections emphasise leaf production, whereas the turnips described here are primarily valued for their swollen underground portion.

Turnip is generally a biennial plant, grown as an annual vegetable. When its cycle continues into reproduction, it develops flowering stems with small yellow flowers, followed by fruits containing seeds. It is distinct from swede, also called rutabaga, which belongs to Brassica napus. Yellow flesh alone does not make a turnip a swede, even though the two vegetables can look similar.

Varieties differ in earliness, typical size and seasonal suitability. Young roots can have fine, juicy flesh, while older turnips may become more fibrous or stronger in flavour. Heat and lack of water also affect eating quality. Size is not a universal guide: an elongated variety and a small round type do not look the same at a comparable stage of development.

In the kitchen, turnips accompany soups, purées, stews and roasted vegetables. Young, tender roots can also appear raw in salads. Their leaves lend themselves to cooked dishes. In a vegetable garden, varied shapes and an affinity with cooler conditions give turnips a place among spring and autumn crops, depending on the variety and climate.

Turnip
Turnip
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Annual
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
  • Mature height : 30 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
  • Sowing Depth : 0.5 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 10 cm
  • Row Spacing : 20 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Low
  • Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Sowing