Turnips (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) are root vegetables in the Brassica genus within the mustard (Brassicaceae) family. Their flesh is usually white in color (but red, orange, and yellow varieties also exist) and they often have a purple, red, or green top. Within the UK and parts of Canada,“turnip” can also refer to its close cousin, the rutabaga (Brassica napobrassica).
The roots can be prepared raw, boiled, mashed, and baked. The smaller ½ – 2 ½ inch varieties are grown for human consumption while the larger cultivars are often grown as animal feed. The younger leaves, which resemble those of their close relative mustard, are a tasty source of greens and can be eaten raw, steamed, or boiled.
Turnips are a cool weather crop and do best when planted in the early spring or early fall in temperate climates. Warm weather can cause an off-flavor and woody roots. They usually require 55-65 days between planting and harvesting. They are a biennial plant, meaning that they’ll set seed in their second year of growth (although they can bolt and produce seed early). This is something to keep in mind if you want to harvest your own seed from open pollinated varieties.
They are prone to many of the same pests and diseases as other brassicas but tend to be more resilient than other types of cruciferous vegetables – making them an ideal crop for home gardeners.
Are you ready to grow your own turnip patch? Find all you need to know in our growing, care, and harvesting guides below. Happy gardening!
You fertilized, watered, and fussed over your turnips for weeks, and it’s time to pull them from the ground. But instead of perfectly-shaped roots, you find cracked, split, or rotten ones instead. What went wrong? What could you have done differently? Read on to learn what causes these issues and how to prevent them.
Turn up your diet quality with turnip greens! This leafy vegetable packs in a powerful nutritional punch. Turnips are best known for their roots, but don’t forget to keep the tops too! Adding the homegrown greens to salads or sauteing them with aromatics offers many robust health benefits. Read on to learn more.
Can’t understand why your turnip crop keeps bolting? Bolting is caused by stress on plants and can be easily addressed with a few simple tricks. Learn what factors can cause bolting in turnips and explore some ways that you can prevent your turnip crop from bolting. Read more now.
Fungi, bacteria, and water molds cause multiple types of diseases on the leaves or roots of turnips and rutabagas. In addition, turnip mosaic virus is a debilitating disease. You can prevent many diseases by using clean or heat-treated seeds. Read on to find out what symptoms to look for on your crops.
White rust infects cruciferous plants, including turnips, around the world. It produces white pustules on the leaves and can distort the flower heads. However, this organism does not kill the plants. Read on to learn how to prevent white rust using cultural control methods.
Think it might be time to harvest your turnip crop, but you’re not quite sure of how to proceed? Luckily, harvesting turnips is easy with a little gardening know-how. Read more now to learn how and when to harvest homegrown turnip roots and greens, plus the best storage practices and some bonus recipe ideas.
Turnip mosaic virus affects cabbage and a broad range of cole crops along with many other types of plants. Weeds serve as reservoirs for the disease, which is spread by aphids. Read on to learn how to control this potentially devastating disease.
The roots get most of the attention, but let’s take some time to talk turnip tops. These easy-to-grow greens are perfect for cool weather gardening, so you can have your veggies even when the traditional growing season is ending. They’re versatile in the kitchen, too. Eat them braised, raw in salads, or cooked in soup.
White spot fungi are selective in the crucifers they infect and cause disease on the leaves of turnip, rutabaga, canola, mustard, radish, and horseradish. The fungi overwinter on volunteer plants and cruciferous weeds. Read on to learn how to control white spot fungus on crucifers.
Looking for a versatile, nutritious, and easy to grow cole crop to plant in your garden this season? There is a reason that the turnip has been a staple of the human diet for centuries! Learn more about how to grow and care for this historic crop right here on Gardener’s Path.
Turnip and rutabaga plants can be severely infested by several types of insects. While row covers can prevent some of these infestations, wireworms are soil-borne threats that can cause the end of the season’s crop in an infested field. Read on to learn how to manage cabbage aphids, root maggots, flea beetles, sawflies, and more.
Bacterial leaf spot on turnip can be caused by two different types of bacteria. This disease spreads easily and can be very difficult to control. Preventing the pathogens from becoming established is the best way to protect your turnip crop. Read on to learn how to protect your plants from these bacteria.
Cool, wet conditions favor downy mildew infection on turnips. Not only can the pathogen destroy the leaves, but it can also spread into the root and cause the turnips to crack. Fall crops are particularly susceptible to this fungus-like organism. Read on to learn how to prevent and control this disease.
Species of the fungus Alternaria can infect your turnips, causing leaf spots and spreading to the seed pods. There are a number of methods to prevent this disease, and both microbial and synthetic fungicides that will control it. To learn how to prevent and control this disease, read more now on Gardener’s Path.
Black rot of turnips caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is a devastating bacterial disease that is easily spread. Since it is very difficult to control, preventing it from becoming established is your best bet. Read on to learn how to keep your turnips from becoming infected with black rot.