How to Make a Turnip Flower

Mild-Winter Climate

• 1

  Select a planting site with well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Plant a turnip seed 1/2 inch deep in the soil in fall or early winter. The seed should germinate in seven to 14 days.

• 2

  Cover the mature, at least 5-inch-tall turnip plant with a 2-inch or thicker layer of mulch, such as straw, leaves and/or sawdust. The mulch helps to maintain even soil moisture and prevent weeds while the plant rests in the ground over winter.

• 3

  Water the turnip plant's soil regularly when the plant's growth restarts in spring, ensuring the site receives 1 to 2 inches of water per week from rainwater or your tap.

• 4

  Watch for the formation of blossom stalks, which can grow to 3 feet tall. They will be covered quickly with clusters of petite green buds, which develop into bright yellow flowers. Allowed to mature, the flowers develop light-brown, mature seedpods.

Cold-Winter Climate

• 5

  Plant a turnip seed 1/2 inch deep in soil in midsummer, selecting a site with full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. Germination typically occurs in seven to 14 days. Allow the resulting plant to reach full maturity.

• 6

  Dig up your turnip plant before the first heavy frost, carefully removing it from the soil without damaging its tuber. Use a spade or shovel for the task. A turnip plant can survive temperatures down to 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 7

  Trim the plant's green tops to 2 inches. Fill a tub or pail with sawdust or sand. Place the plant in the tub or pail, completely burying it in the sand or sawdust. Leave the container uncovered.

• 8

  Overwinter the turnip in its uncovered container in a root cellar, greenhouse or similar structure. Maintain a temperature of 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the location for the best results. A turnip stores for two to four months under ideal conditions.

• 9

  Plant the turnip tuber in early spring, when the soil temperature is at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. With the root end pointing down, place the turnip in the ground. The turnip's top should be at soil level. Water the site's soil regularly when growth restarts, ensuring the site receives 1 to 2 inches of water per week from rainwater or tap water. A turnip typically flowers in early summer, depending on weather conditions.

Planting Times by Region

• 10

  Plant a turnip seed about June 10 to 30 in the northeastern part of the United States. Dig up the plant in late October for winter storage, planting it again in early spring.

• 11

  Plant a turnip seed from Sept. 15 to Nov. 15 in the Mid-Atlantic region. The plant overwinters in that location with no special care beyond mulch and blooms the following spring.

• 12

  Sow a turnip seed Sept. 1 to 15 in the Gulf Coast region. Turnip overwinters with no special care in that area, flowering in early spring.

• 13

  Place a turnip seed in the soil about July 25 if you live in the upper Midwest. In early November, dig up the tuber for winter storage. Set it in the garden again in early April.

• 14

  Sow a turnip seed in the Southwest from Sept. 15 through Feb. 15. The plant will flower in spring or summer.

• 15

  Plant a turnip seed anytime from August through November if you live in the Central West coast region. A turnip plant easily overwinters in that area if it is protected with a layer of mulch, and it produces flowers in the spring.

• 16

  Sow a turnip seed in the Maritime Northwest about Sept. 5. The plant will overwinter easily under a layer of mulch, flowering the following spring.