Turnip
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Sow outdoors 3 weeks before your last spring frost. Space plants 4 in (10 cm) apart.
Photo: Miya, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Spring Direct Sow
From seedRecommended- Sow outdoors3 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 50 days after sowing
Optimal Fall Direct Sow
From seed- Sow outdoorsabout 10 weeks before your first fall frost
- First harvestabout 50 days after sowing
Growing turnip
- Spacing in the row
- 4 in (10 cm)
- Between rows
- 15 in (38 cm)
- Planting depth
- 0.5 inch
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, loose, fertile loam, pH 6.0-7.0 (as per pH balanced profile)
- Germination
- 3-10 days at 45-85°F (optimal 60-75°F)
- Harvest season
- Spring, Fall
- Mature height
- 12-18 inches
- Life cycle
- Biennial
Direct sow shallowly in well-drained, fertile soil for best root development.
Watering. Maintain consistent soil moisture, especially crucial during root expansion. Avoid drought stress.
Neighbours
The companion chart →
Pea
Garlic
Onion
Nasturtium
Mint
Rosemary
Potato
MustardFeeding
- Seedlings
- Not typically required for direct-sown turnips; if growth is slow, apply a dilute, balanced liquid fertilizer.
- Growing
- Side-dress with balanced granular fertilizer or compost once roots begin to swell.
- How often
- At planting, then once at midseason.
- Note
- Avoid excessive nitrogen, which promotes leafy growth at the expense of root development.
Your turnip, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.