Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Turnip
Common names: Stubble turnip, Autumn turnip
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 12 cm, rows 30 cm
- Lifespan
- Biennial
- Sowing
- Jul–Aug
- Harvest
- Oct–Nov
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −5 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Rasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
The Herb turnip is a late‑sown sister of the Mairübe, a juicy, mild edible turnip that is sown as a follow‑up crop on harvested beds. Traditionally it follows grain on the stop field, hence the name Stoppel turnip. It provides fresh vegetable in autumn when other crops have long been cleared.
Care instructions
Sow from July to August thinly directly into the bed, preferably after an early‑cleared preceding crop such as peas or lettuce. Keep the soil moist during germination and space seedlings about a hand’s breadth apart. Harvest from October before hard frost; light frosts are tolerated and actually mellow the tubers.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingJul–Aug
HarvestOct–Nov
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 3 to 7 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 1 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
sandy, loamy, humus-rich, well-drained
The turnip likes a loose, free-draining soil with some humus; sandy loam is ideal. You must avoid waterlogging, otherwise the roots turn rotten or woody; lighten acidic soils with lime before sowing, as the turnip reacts sensitively to pH values that are too low.
Brassicas are heavy feeders and prone to clubroot; keep to a 4-year break and do not follow directly on from other crucifers such as radishes or mustard.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar, Apr, Jul, Aug
Before sowing in spring, or before the autumn crop in summer, work some mature compost shallowly into the soil; the undemanding turnip usually needs no more. Do without fresh manure and nitrogen-heavy feeding, otherwise the plant runs to leaf instead of forming fine roots and the flavour suffers. You should make sure the soil has a good supply of lime.
Overwintering
It is best to harvest the turnips before severe frost, twist off the leaves (do not cut them) and store the roots cool and frost-free in moist sand, for example in a cellar or in a clamp in the bed. Alternatively, leave them standing in the bed protected by mulch, leaves or horticultural fleece and harvest as needed, because they tolerate light frost and gain in flavour from it.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate the turnip exclusively by direct sowing into the open ground. Cuttings, division or other vegetative methods are not practical for this root vegetable. Sow the seeds from mid July to mid August straight into the prepared bed: sowing depth about 1 cm, 25 to 30 cm between rows. After emergence, thin to 10 to 15 cm apart in the row. Depending on the variety, the roots are ready to harvest about 8 to 12 weeks after sowing. For an early harvest in summer you can already sow from spring; then choose a variety suited as a May turnip. The turnip is biennial: in the first year it forms the root and a leaf rosette, and only after a cold stimulus does it bolt into flower in the second year. If you want to save your own seed, let selected, healthy roots overwinter in the bed or store them cool and plant them out again in spring. In the second year the plant flowers, and you harvest the pods shortly before full ripeness, otherwise they burst open and scatter the seeds. Let the shoots dry further in a warm, airy place before you thresh out and clean the seeds. Note: all Brassica rapa forms (pak choi, May turnip, stubble turnip, Chinese cabbage, mizuna) cross with one another, and pollination is by insects. Grow only one variety per season for seed saving, or isolate them clearly in space.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example Bush beanPole beanBroad beanSnow peaWrinkled peaRunner bean and 35 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example CarrotCeleriacDillParsleyFlorence fennelCoriander and 21 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
mint family (Lamiaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example LavenderThymeBasilRosemarySageHyssop and 43 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae)
Nasturtium serves as a trap plant for you. Aphids and cabbage whiteflies prefer it over the brassicaceae next to it.
For example NasturtiumMashua
Source: Trap plant practice in organic horticulture
Rather not
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Turnip yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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