Turnips are a fast, hardy dual-purpose crop — sweet young roots and tasty leafy tops, both ready in weeks. A great cool-season filler for a raised bed's loose mix.
Quick facts
- Position: full sun to part shade
- Spacing: 10 cm apart
- Tub depth: our 35 cm depth
- Time to harvest: 6–10 weeks
When to plant: Turnips grow best in the cool — sow directly from late summer through winter. They mature fast, so sow a short row every few weeks. Our free planting calendar shows the right months for your postcode.
Growing them in a raised bed: Sow seed into loose, fine mix and thin the seedlings so the roots can swell. Quick and undemanding, they slot in between slower crops.
Watering and feeding: Keep the mix evenly moist for tender, mild roots — a dry check makes them woody and hot.
Common pests: keep an eye out for aphids, caterpillars and slugs and snails. Most are easily managed — see our safe pest guide.
Common diseases: the main ones are downy mildew and leaf spot. Good airflow, morning watering and steady moisture prevent most.
Companion plants: The leafy tops are edible greens; keep brassicas away from strawberries. See our companion planting guide.
Harvest and storage: Pull young, at golf-ball to tennis-ball size — bigger ones turn woody. Pick a few outer leaves for greens along the way.
More growing guides: swede, daikon and sweet potato.
Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.
Image: Mike Mozart, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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