How to grow turnips
Crisp and crunchy with slightly bitter and spicy flavours, the turnip is delicious roasted or mashed, and is far more versatile than most home cooks realise. It surely deserves amore prominent place in Kiwi cuisine.
SOW AND GROW
When to sow: September to December in warmer areas; February to March in cooler areas
Position: Full sun
Harvest: 7weeks
Good for pots
GET STARTED
Turnips prefer cooler weather and are usually sown in early spring to early summer, and late summer to early autumn. This later sowing avoids the hottest months, and produces sweeter and more tender crops.
STEP BY STEP
Turnip seedlings do not transplant well. Sow seeds where they are to grow, at a depth of 1cm, spacing seeds 4cm apart. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days. When plants are about 4cm high, thin to the strongest specimens. Space them about 12cm apart.
GROWING TIPS
Like most root vegetables, turnips appreciate soil that has been worked to a fine tilth to a depth of at least 20cm. Although turnips are brassicas, they are grown for their roots rather than their leaves, so avoid applying too much nitrogen-rich fertiliser. Add a layer of compost or well-rotted manure to the soil well before sowing. While turnips prefer sun, they do tolerate part shade. As root vegetables, they are protected in warmer climes from sunburn by the soil, but they prefer cooler conditions. Water regularly
but avoid overwatering. Inconsistent watering can cause small, cracked and bitter crops. Harvest your turnipswhen they are 5-7cm across. or pick as babies, when their diameter is about 2.5-3.5cm, and eat the foliage as well (raw if you like).
STANDOUT VARIETIES
Go for ‘Golden Ball’ with its golden-yellow skin and flesh, which is sweet with a slightly almond flavour. The stunning white ‘Tokyo Cross’ is fast to grow, slow to bolt and more heatresistant than other varieties. ‘Purple Top’ is popular for its rapid growth habit.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Being so speedy growing, turnips tend to outgrow any resident pests.