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Cool 16 Turnips

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Cool 16 Turnips

layout: base.njk title: "Turnips" plantName: "Brassica rapa subsp. rapa" category: "Cool Season Crops" description: "Growing guide for Turnips in West Virginia Zone 6b/7a" tags: planting-guide

Purple and white turnip roots

Type: Biennial (grown as annual)
Family: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Sun: Full sun to part shade (6+ hours)
Water: Moderate (1-1.5" per week, consistent moisture prevents woodiness)
Soil pH: 6.0-7.5 (optimal 6.5-7.0)
Hardiness: Zones 2-11 (very cold hardy, flavor improves with frost)

📅 Planting Calendar (WV Zone 6b/7a)

Method Timing Notes
Start indoors Not recommended Turnips have taproot, transplant poorly. Direct sow only.
Direct sow March 15 - May 30; August 1 - October 15 Soil temp 50-85°F optimal. Sow 1/4-1/2" deep, broadcast or in rows 1" apart, thin to 4-6". Spring and fall crops. Fall turnips superior—sweeter, more tender. Can succession plant every 2-3 weeks.
Transplant Not applicable Always direct sow. Taproot damaged by transplanting.
Days to maturity 35-70 days Early/salad turnips: 35-45 days. Main crop/storage: 50-70 days. Greens harvestable at 30 days.
Succession plant Every 2-3 weeks spring and fall For continuous harvest. Spring turnips for fresh eating, fall for storage.

🌱 Expected Yield

  • Per plant: 0.5-2 lbs per root (variety-dependent). Greens: 4-8 oz per plant (cut-and-come-again).
  • Per 10' row: 15-40 lbs roots. 5-10 lbs greens.
  • Per season: With succession planting: 40-80 lbs per 10' row annually (roots + greens).

🌿 Growing Conditions

  • Soil: Loose, well-drained, moderately fertile loam. Turnips are light to moderate feeders. Loose soil essential for round roots—compacted soil causes misshapen roots. pH 6.5-7.0 optimal. Amend with 2-3" compost before planting. Raised beds excellent.
  • Fertilizer: Light to moderate feeder. Apply compost with bone meal for phosphorus at planting (1-2 tbsp per 10' row). Avoid excess nitrogen (promotes greens over roots). Phosphorus promotes root development.
  • Companions: Excellent with peas, beans, carrots, lettuce, onions, dill. Turnips grow quickly, provide early harvest before slower crops need space. Dill repels turnip pests. Avoid planting near other brassicas if space allows.
  • Avoid: Plant away from potatoes, tomatoes, other brassicas (shared pests). Rotate 3 years away from brassicas.
  • Pests: Flea beetles (major pest—row covers essential for young plants), cabbage worms (Bt, row covers), aphids (hose off, insecticidal soap), root maggots (row covers, beneficial nematodes), slugs (diatomaceous earth).
  • Diseases: Generally disease-resistant. Black rot (bacterial—rotate, avoid overhead watering), clubroot (raise pH to 7.2+, long rotation), turnip mosaic virus (aphid-vectored, remove infected plants).

🏺 Heirloom Varieties (5-10+)

White/Purple-Top Turnips

'Purple Top White Globe'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com), Johnny's Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com)
  • Days: 50 days
  • Notes: Classic American heirloom. Large, round roots (5-6" diameter) with purple tops, white bottoms. White flesh. Sweet, mild when young. Traditional for cooking. Excellent for mashing, roasting. Cold hardy. Stores well.

'Tokyo Cross'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 35 days
  • Notes: Hybrid, F1. Small, white, round roots (2-3"). Very fast. Sweet, tender. Excellent for salads, roasting whole. All-America Selections winner. Uniform. Doesn't get woody quickly.

'Hakurei'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 38 days
  • Notes: Japanese hybrid. Small, white, round. Exceptionally sweet, tender—can eat raw like apple. Thin skin, no peeling needed. Delicious roasted, sautéed. Prized by chefs. Bolts quickly in heat. Best for spring and fall.

'White Egg'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek
  • Days: 45 days
  • Notes: Heirloom. Oval, white roots. Sweet, mild. Good for early harvest. Tender texture. Traditional variety. Reliable producer.

Golden/Yellow Turnips

'Golden Ball' (Orange Jelly)

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (southernexposure.com)
  • Days: 55 days
  • Notes: Victorian heirloom. Round, golden-yellow skin and flesh. Sweet, fine-textured. Less pungent than white types. Beautiful color. Excellent for roasting. Stores well. Traditional favorite.

Yellow/Magenta Varieties

'Scarlet Queen'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Johnny's Selected Seeds
  • Days: 50 days
  • Notes: Hybrid. Red skin, white flesh. Round roots. Sweet, mild. Beautiful color. Good for fresh eating. Holds quality well.

Asian Varieties

'Tsuda'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Johnny's Selected Seeds
  • Days: 45 days
  • Notes: Japanese heirloom. Long, cylindrical white roots. Sweet, tender. Good for pickling, stir-frying. Traditional Asian variety. Cold tolerant.

'Kamurei'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 40 days
  • Notes: Japanese hybrid. Small, round, white. Sweet, crisp. Excellent raw. Fast growing. Good for succession planting.

Greens Varieties

'Seven Top'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 40 days (greens)
  • Notes: Southern heirloom. Grown specifically for greens, not roots. Large, tender, dark green leaves. Mild, sweet flavor. Cold hardy. Can overwinter. Traditional Southern greens. Produces many leaves.

📜 Cultural History & Domestication

Domesticated: Turnips were among earliest domesticated vegetables, originating in Europe/Western Asia over 4000-5000 years ago. Wild turnip ancestor (Brassica rapa) native to Europe, Western Asia.

Archaeological Evidence: Turnip remains found in Neolithic sites in Switzerland, Greece (2500-2000 BCE). Evidence from Egypt, Mesopotamia from 2000 BCE. Ancient crop.

Historical Record: Ancient Greeks cultivated turnips—Theophrastus (371-287 BCE) described turnip cultivation. Romans grew turnips extensively—fed to livestock and poor. Turnips traveled to China via Silk Road (by 500 CE). Chinese developed Asian turnip varieties (daikon is related species). Medieval Europeans relied on turnips as staple food—peasants ate turnips, bread, porridge. Turnips stored well through winter, provided vitamins when fresh produce unavailable. The word "turnip" derives from Old English "tur-neep" (round root). Turnips crucial to Agricultural Revolution (1700s England)—Turnip Townshend promoted turnip crop rotation (wheat, turnips, barley, clover). Turnips broke disease cycles, fed livestock through winter, enabled more animals, more manure, better soil. This four-course rotation transformed European agriculture, supported population growth. Turnips arrived in Americas with European colonists. Native Americans adopted turnips. Thomas Jefferson grew turnips at Monticello. Irish famine (1840s) increased turnip importance—when potatoes failed, turnips provided food. Turnips remained important through 1800s, early 1900s. Post-WWII, turnips declined in America (associated with poverty, animal feed). Recent heirloom revival brought turnips back (Hakurei, specialty varieties). Chefs rediscovered turnips—roasted, pureed, raw. Asian cuisines kept turnips prominent (pickled, stir-fried, in soups).

Cultural Significance: Turnips represent agricultural history—they enabled European population growth via crop rotation. The humble turnip literally changed world history. Turnips associated with poverty for centuries—"turnip eater" was insult in England. This perception declined American turnip consumption (potatoes, corn preferred). Yet turnips remained staple in many cultures—Scandinavian countries (rutabaga, related species), Russia, Eastern Europe, Asia. Asian cuisines use turnips extensively (Chinese lo bak, Korean mu, Japanese kabu)—pickled, stir-fried, in soups, salads. Southern U.S. tradition features turnip greens (cooked with ham hock, bacon)—greens considered delicacy, roots less prized. "Turnip greens and cornbread" traditional Southern meal. Turnip greens nutritional powerhouse—vitamins A, C, K, calcium, iron, folate. Don't discard greens! Turnips' flavor ranges from mild, sweet (Hakurei, Tokyo Cross) to strong, pungent (older Purple Top). Young, small turnips always milder. Cooking methods affect flavor—roasting caramelizes, sweetens; boiling can emphasize sulfur compounds; raw turnips crisp, peppery (like radish). Rutabaga (swede) is turnip-cabbage hybrid, larger, sweeter, longer cooking. Turnips store well—in root cellar, 3-6 months. Can leave in ground under mulch, harvest as needed through winter. Flavor improves after frost (plant converts starches to sugars as antifreeze). This cold-sweetening makes fall turnips superior. Turnip varieties diversified globally—European white/purple-top, Asian long/round types, specialty colors. Different varieties suit different preparations—Hakurei for raw, eating fresh; Purple Top for cooking, storage; Seven Top for greens. The rapid maturity (35-70 days) makes turnips perfect for succession planting, filling gaps between crops. Harvest baby turnips at golf-ball size—tender, sweet. Let some mature for storage. Both roots and greens edible—double crop from single planting.

🌾 Seed Saving

  • Method: Turnips are biennial—require vernalization (cold period) to flower. For seed saving, select best roots, leave in ground over winter (mulch heavily in zone 6b/7a) or dig and store in cool, humid place (root cellar at 35-40°F in damp sand), replant in spring. In spring, plants send up 3-5' branched flower stalks with clusters of yellow, four-petaled flowers. Flowers are insect-pollinated (bees, flies). Seed pods (siliques) mature 4-6 weeks after flowering, turning from green to tan/brown. Cut stalks when most pods brown but before shattering. Hang in paper bags in dry, ventilated area 2-3 weeks. Thresh by beating bags or rolling stalks. Winnow by pouring between bowls in breeze to separate seeds from chaff.
  • Isolation distance: 800 feet to 1 mile minimum. Turnips cross-pollinate readily with other Brassica rapa varieties (Chinese cabbage, pak choi, tatsoi, broccoli raab, mustard greens—all same species). For pure seed, grow only one B. rapa variety or cage isolated plants with netting and hand-pollinate.
  • Viability: 4-5 years when stored in cool, dry, dark conditions in airtight containers. Medium-sized seeds store well.
  • Special notes: Save seed from minimum 5-10 plants to maintain genetic diversity. Select for root shape, flavor, bolt resistance, disease resistance, greens quality. In zone 6b/7a, turnips can overwinter with heavy mulch (straw, leaves 12-18" deep). Biennial requirement means seed saving requires two full seasons. Turnips cross readily with Asian greens (pak choi, tatsoi)—if growing multiple B. rapa crops, isolate or cage. Turnip seed saving straightforward—overwinter roots, harvest seed in summer. Save from plants that survived winter best (cold hardiness), have best flavor, root quality.

📖 Sources Consulted

  1. Jett, Lewis W. "2026 Garden Calendar." WVU Extension Service.
  2. Ashworth, Suzanne. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners, 2nd ed. Seed Savers Exchange, 2002.
  3. "Growing Turnips in the Home Garden." Ohio State University Extension, HYG-1617-11.
  4. "Turnip and Rutabaga Production." University of Massachusetts Extension.
  5. "Turnip Varieties." Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook. seedsavers.org, 2025.
  6. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Catalog. rareseeds.com, 2025.
  7. Johnny's Selected Seeds Grower's Library. johnnyseeds.com, 2025.
  8. Kiple, Kenneth F. and Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas, eds. The Cambridge World History of Food. Cambridge University Press, 2000. (Historical references)
  9. "The Turnip and Agricultural Revolution." British Agricultural History Society.

🌾 Natural Soil Amendments (Loop Farmstead Standard)

Only on-farm, regenerative inputs:

  • Compost: 1-2 inches annually (on-farm production)
  • Cover crops: Rye + vetch (fall), buckwheat (summer), daikon (compaction)
  • Wood chips: Pathways only (aged 2+ years for beds)
  • Fall leaves: Mulch or compost browns
  • Blood/bone meal: From farm-slaughtered animals
  • Biochar: Charged with compost tea (permanent carbon)
  • Wood ash: Light application from wood stove
  • Eggshells: Crushed/powdered (slow calcium)

❌ Never used: Synthetic fertilizers, mined minerals, gypsum, peat moss

See: natural_soil_amendments_standard.md for complete guide

Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead