How to Plant Brassica Rapa

Brassica rapa -- commonly called turnip greens or field mustard -- grows energetically in a sunny garden. Brassica rapa varieties include roots in purple, white, yellow or green. Plant Brassica rapa in the spring after the soil warms slightly, and they will grow quickly to produce tall greens and tasty taproots. Both the greens and the roots provide tasty food suitable for harvest during the growing season.

Garden spade
Compost
Rake
Hoe

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare the soil in early spring as soon as you can cultivate the soil. Work the soil to a depth of about 6 inches with the garden spade. Add 2 to 3 inches of compost over the soil surface and mix it in thoroughly with the spade. Rake the soil with the rake to finish the soil preparation.
- 2
  Create planting rows with the hoe. Drag the hoe along the soil to create rows, spacing the rows about three feet apart.
- 3
  Plant the seeds in the prepared rows, spacing them about one inch apart. Cover the seeds with 1/2 inch of soil and water the planting area lightly. Keep the soil evenly moist while the seeds germinate.
- 4
  Thin the seedlings when they reach a height of about 3 to 4 inches. Pull the weaker seedlings to leave the strongest seedlings growing about four inches apart in the rows.
- 5
  Remove weeds that appear around the turnip green plants, pulling them by hand so you do not disturb the roots of the plants.

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