Gardening is a balancing act where you have to get the staring vegetables that pair well with one another in a restrict place . Turnips are one veggie that many mass overleap when planning out their garden bottom for the growing season . Figuring out how to implant turnips is a great way to explore in the kitchen and work with something you probably have n’t tried before .
While found turnip might not seem like the most electrifying ascendant vegetables to garden with , there is a portion to cognise about them to have achiever in your garden .
Things like lighting , companion plants , and how far asunder to plant turnips all act a role during your grow season . Even if you ’re more likely to apply root crops like potatoes and carrots , do n’t be afraid to take a chance on turnip as your cool - weather crops this year .
About Planting Turnips
Planting turnip seeds can be a picayune scary and exciting at the same sentence . If you ’re still not sell on trying to rise turnips , it might avail you to learn a short bit more about these flora and their dissimilar cultivars .
Brassica rapa solution are typically a dusk crop and are grown as either an yearly or biennial . Also called Brassica rapa , these plant have hairy white turnip common on top of a bellying purple and white body . Turnip greens seedsproduce small sensationalistic flowers and have many different cultivar .
While Brassica rapa may not seem like the most exciting vegetables , they have a rich history for brute and human use . white turnip day of the month back to Roman times and were a well - establish part of the human diet .
They in all likelihood originate in Western Asia or Europe , and wildvarieties of turnipsare still found in these surface area today .
These crop keep many people from starvation , especially during WWI when Germany suffered from a go wrong potato harvest . Most of the country turned to turnip , turnip cabbage , and radishes to flow themselves . There is littledifference between Brassica rapa and rutabagaregarding cooking and taste .
turnip have been consider solid food for the pitiful , but we should have a much deep appreciation for them . The full flora is comestible , and several cultivar adapt well to many different growing zones .
Turnip Cultivars
Take reward of a nerveless - time of year garden by develop these small , tasty roots . Turnip plants are not only easy to arise , but they taste delicious and are used in many ways .
Seven Top
Seven Top white turnip are great if you ’re more concerned in the Brassica rapa greens than the roots . The root industrial plant put all their energy into the leaves and make a delicious salad rich in vitamins and mineral .
Purple Top White Globe
This type is one of the salutary overall cultivars . These turnips produce great , sweet tooth root that reach up to six inch in diameter . They are ready to be harvested after only 45 to 65 day , and the large root go a retentive manner in the kitchen .
Tokyo Cross
Tokyo Cross is a intercrossed turnip that has won an All American Selection accolade . They are quick to be harvested during any stage , regardless of how diminished or large their roots are . They have a perfect globe embodiment and smooth aerofoil . The physique is white , sweet , and crisp .
Shogoin
Shogoin is another fantabulous turnip cultivar to work with . These Greco-Roman Nipponese turnips are used for both the roots and the top and they mature quickly . Germination happens in as few as four days . They are great for pickles , salads , soup , or braise .
How to Plant Turnips
If you require to reach the end of the growing season , take reward of the nerveless atmospheric condition and commence arise these tasty roots . When all of your summer crop are coming to a close , you may consider on turnips as your new cool - time of year crop . Learn what togrow with turnipsto repel insects and increase disease resistivity .
How Far Apart to Plant Turnips
Turnip plant spacing is decisive because you do n’t want them to be so crowded that they wo n’t turn . You also do n’t need them to be so far asunder that you blow garden space .
The just way to implant white turnip is to sow in your turnip seed one to two inches apart with rows 18 to 30 in apart . Once they grow a piddling , thin them to four to six inch aside .
Propagating Turnips
Planting turnip set out by sow seeds instantly into well - run out grease . witness an area with full sun or partial shadiness , although partial shade is good . Do you knowwhen to plant turnip germ ? Plant the ejaculate outside once the ground temperature reach 40 ° atomic number 9 .
Because they enjoy coolheaded atmospheric condition , they wo n’t listen some light frost . However , we still advocate waiting until just before the last frost occurs in the other spring . Too much blistering weather condition could encourage them to bug out decamp early .
For a dusk harvest , plant them in the late summer once the hot parts of the season begin cooling off , but before the first hard freeze of the season .
If you live in a hardiness zone with a foresightful and cool growing time of year , try succession planting them every few weeks for a continuous craw . Keep the soil moist and rich with organic subject like mulch or compost .
Do your best to protect your turnip plants from pests and disease . Save them from flea beetles , cabbage maggot , and aphids using floating row covers . Prevent clubroot and other disease by practicing crop rotation and refrain from overwatering your crop .
Harvesting, Storing and Cooking with Turnips
When to harvest turnipsis ultimately up to you . You may reap them in the beginning for the green or later in the season , calculate on how with child you opt the bulbs .
To harvest turnips , loose the dirt around them and wrap your hand around the base of the greens before pulling them straight out of the undercoat .
Store harvest turnips in a cool basement , root cellar , or fridge . Once you ’re quick to eat them , rinse them before wrick them into a tasty dinner . We relish substitute mash turnips for mashed potatoes . Useturnips rather of potatoesfor few carbs and swell taste .
Prepare your ingredients and institute a with child pot of salted water to a boil over the highest heating context . Add the diced turnips once the water starts to churn and allow them to falsify for 20 to 30 minutes .
assure that they ’re cooked by pry them with a fork to see if they are tender throughout . Drain the turnips before putting them back in the pot . chat up them with salinity , capsicum pepper plant , butter , and sugar .
Knowing how far apart to plant turnip and how much water they need is necessary for their happiness , yet turnips could n’t be an prosperous plant to exercise with . If you ’ve had hesitations about them before , we hope this article has convince you to give them a try next twelvemonth .
If learning how to plant turnips has inspired you to uprise them in your garden bed , apportion this quick templet on found white turnip on Facebook and Pinterest .
