Turnip Propagation

Gather Seed

• Turnips are a biennial crop, which means the plant spouts from seed and develops one season, while producing seeds during the second growing season. Leave the turnip crop in the ground over the winter in order to harvest the seeds the next season. Seeds are available from garden supply outlets and from farm seed suppliers.

Planting Seeds

• Plant the turnip seed about 1/2 inch deep in the early spring of the year. Seeds germinate in about three to 10 days in soil of at least 50 degrees. After the seeds germinate, thin the seedlings to about one plant every 2 inches. Agricultural seeding commonly involves planting at rates of about 2 lbs. of seeds per acre of farmland. Use either a broadcast seed spreader or a seed drill to plant the seeds in farm fields.

Growing Turnips

• Garden turnip varieties mature for harvest at about 60 days after planting. Turnips grown for livestock feed are commonly allowed to mature to between 70 and 90 days after planting. Once the plant establishes itself, the leaf canopy prevents weed competition. Turnips are susceptible to some fungal diseases. Avoid planting turnips, or any related plant, on the same ground more than two years in a row.

Harvesting

• Turnips used as livestock feed are commonly fed by allowing the animals to graze the plants after they have matured. Gardeners generally dig or lift the turnip roots when the plant matures and store the roots for use as needed.