Turnips
Select Your Climate
The secret to sweet, juicy turnips is a steady supply of moisture. You can eat the roots and the leaves!
Likes: Full sun or part shade; rich soil.
Dislikes: Poor soil; drying out.
When to plant/sow in zone:
How to start: Sow seed direct, planting 5mm deep and allowing 10cm between plants.
How to grow: Keep moist and feed fortnightly with liquid fertiliser.
When to harvest: Pinch outer leaves off plant when large enough to eat. Harvest roots when globes are 5–10cm diameter.
Pests and diseases: Cabbage white butterfly
Suppliers: The Diggers Club Garden Express
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide
Related Articles
Grow your own root vegies for winter
Karen Sutherland suggests some super-nourishing root vegies for you to plant during this winter from carrots to sugar beets
Making every part count
Justin Russell explains ways to make the most of root to leaf edibility, an idea that has been used for generations by frugal kitchens. Winter soups are just the start!
How to grow the versatile turnip
It's time we turned the spotlight back onto the humble turnip, writes Justin Russell.