How to Raise Turnips

Purchase turnip seeds. Recommended varieties include Just Right, Scarlet Queen, Royal Crown, White Lady, White Knight and Market Express. Seeds stored longer than four years may not germinate.

Prepare a space in the yard or garden in full or partial sun. Work the soil until it is loose and well draining. Add compost, and work it into the top layer of the soil for best results. Lightly water the soil to create a moist environment for sowing seeds.

Sow turnip seeds 1/2 inch deep in the soil in rows spaced 1 to 2 feet apart. Water lightly after sowing seeds, and provide frequently watering as seedlings develop, to keep the soil moist for growth. Ideal temperatures for turnips to propagate are 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so plant in the spring or the fall, according to your region’s recommended planting dates.

Thin turnip seedlings to 2 to 4 inches apart. Crowded turnips will result in smaller roots and poor overall growth.

Pull weeds as they appear, to prevent them from choking the roots of the turnip. Treat any diseases or pests that might appear, such as root maggots.

Harvest turnips once they reach usable size. Depending on weather conditions and the variety being grown, turnips are typically ready for harvest in 60 days.