How to Grow a Brassica Rapa Indoors

Brassica rapa is more commonly known as the turnip. Turnips can be grown as a cool or warm weather crop, and are easy to grow indoors in containers. The indoor gardener can space turnips closely together for greens, or farther apart in the pot for true turnips. Once sown, turnips will be ready for harvest 30 to 60 days after planting. They grow easily from seeds planted directly into the pot. There's no reason to start them in seed trays.

Plant pot
Potting soil
Low-nitrogen fertilizer
Shears
Hand spade

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a plant pot with organic potting soil. The pot should be at least 12 inches deep, 8 inches wide and have drainage holes.
- 2
  Insert the seeds into the soil at a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Space the seeds 4 inches apart if you want to grow turnip roots, or 2 to 3 inches apart if you're growing them for greens.
- 3
  Water until the soil settles. Set the pot in a window that gets full sun.
- 4
  Continue watering frequently enough to keep the soil moist at all times. This encourages the turnips to grow quickly.
- 5
  Apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer to the soil during the middle of the growing season. Follow package directions for application.
- 6
  Harvest the greens by cutting them once they reach 12 inches long, cutting the outer leaves first. If you grow the plants for the turnip roots, harvest them when they're 2 to 3 inches across. Use a hand spade to dig them out of the container.

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