Easy steps on how to grow Turnips

The origin of Turnips can be traced from Northeastern Europe, Siberia. The botanical name of Turnip is Brassica rapa, why the common name is Turnip. This particular plant grows and taste best when they come to harvest in cool weather. For a late spring harvest, you can sow the turnip seeds directly in the garden two to three weeks before the average last frost date in spring. The Turnips can be sow in late summer for autumn harvest.
Furthermore this plant is a hardy, cool-weather biennial plant that is grown as an annual plant. This plant has a rosette of bright green leaves growing from a swollen, root-like base or tuber. This plant are grown as a root vegetable or for their green leaves.

How to grow Turnips

The land preparation: The Turnips should be grown in full sun or partial shade. The Turnips should be planted in a well-drained soil rich in organic matter with a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.8. Make sure you prepare the planting beds in advance by applying garden compost and a well-aged manure. You can add sand or gypsum to heavy, clay soil or you can prepare beds by planting green manure and working it into the beds the season before seeding.
The planting time for Turnip: This plant is a cool-weather crop that requires about thirty to sixty days to come to harvest. This plant really grows best in temperatures from 40°F to 75°F. Turnips plants are best harvested before temperatures exceed 75°F. The Turnip seed need to be sow directly in the garden two to three weeks before the average last frost date in spring for a late spring or early summer harvest. You can sow turnips in late summer for autumn harvest, also in early autumn for late autumn harvest, and in late autumn for winter harvest in reverse-season regions.
The spacing and planting of Turnips: This particular plant do not transplant well. You need to sow the Turnip seed directly in the garden ½ inch deep and one inch apart in wide rows, you can thin successful seedlings from four to six inches apart. Also space wide rows twelve to twenty inches apart.
Growing Turnips in container: These plants are easily grown in containers. You can grow the small turnip roots in wide containers at least eight inches deep.
The feeding and watering of Turnips: The soil need to be kept moist for the Turnips to grow as fast as possible. Make sure you don’t allow the soil to dry out. When this plant grow slowly their roots will become woody and strong flavored. Make sure you side dress the Turnips with aged compost at midseason.
Some of the companion plant: Southern peas, peas, Bush beans.
How to care for Turnips: Make sure you keep the planting beds free from weed. Don’t forget that overcrowding may cause small roots. You can mulch the Turnips with straw to protect the tuber tops from sunburn.
Pest and disease control in Turnip: This particular plant can be attacked by flea beetles and aphids. You can easily control aphids by pinching out infested foliage and hosing large population off the plants. Make sure you keep weeds in the garden down to control flea beetles. Also this plant can be affected by white rust fungus which will cause small white cottony blisters on the upper surface of the leaves and a yellow discoloration on the undersides. Although the control is actually not necessary.
How to harvest Turnip: This plant can come to harvest thirty to sixty days after sowing. You can lift the roots when they are two to three inches in diameter, make sure you lift them carefully with a garden fork. Also the leaves can be cut when they are twelve inches long, make sure you cut the outside leaves first. The thinned seedlings can actually be harvested for greens.
The preservation and storage of Turnips: You can keep the Turnip greens in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
The following are some of the Turnips variety you can grow:

1. The All Top Turnip variety (mature in 50 days, greens)
2. The Amber Turnip variety(mature in 75 days)
3. The De Milan Turnip variety(mature in 35 days)
4. The Gilfeather Turnip variety(mature in 82 days)
5. The Just Right Turnip variety (mature in 40-60 days)
6. The Market Express Turnip variety (mature in 38 days)
7. The Purple Top White Globe Turnip variety (mature in 57 days)
8. The Red Milan Turnip variety (mature in 35 days)
9. The Royal Crown Turnip variety (mature in 52 days)
10. The Seven Top Turnip variety (mature in 45 days, greens)
11. The Shogoin Turnip variety (mature in 30-70 days, greens)
12. The Tokyo Cross Turnip variety (mature in 35 days)
13. The Tokyo Market Turnip variety (mature in 35 days)
14. The Vertus Turnip variety (mature in 50-60 days)
15. The White Egg Turnip variety (mature in 50-55 days)
16. The White Lady Turnip variety (mature in 34-45 days)
17. The Yorii Spring Turnip variety (mature in 38 days).

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