Crowded turnips will make very small roots. Most gardeners will tell you to aim for the size of a baseball. Overly large turnips will become tough. Thinned plants make excellent cooked greens, and may be tender enough for salads.
Can turnips get too big?
After 40 to 50 days, turnip roots are harvestable. Turnips should not be left to flourish too big since they will get woody, stringy, and sour.
How big should turnips be?
If harvesting for both the root and the leaves, the turnip should be about 2 inches in diameter, but if the leaves have been harvested first, the turnip should be 3 inches in diameter when it is ready to be pulled. Pick turnips when they are smaller for a milder, sweeter flavor.
How big can a turnip get?
Click Play to Learn How to Grow and Harvest Turnips
| Botanical Name | Brassica rapa |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Turnip |
| Plant Type | Annual vegetable |
| Mature Size | 12–18 in. tall; 6- to 8-in. spread |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun to part shade |
Can you cut the tops off turnips?
Use scissors or garden shears for “cut and come again” harvesting. Cut the leaves off near the ground starting on the outside. New leaflets will come in after a week or two. These will mature to a smaller size than the original batch but you will be able to get another harvest off the plant.
What happens if you leave turnips in the ground?
Storage Strategy #2: Bury the turnips
Even though the turnips will rot over time, nothing bad will happen to them if you decide to bury them. If you aren’t worried about friends or other players stealing them, you can store the turnips outside.
How long can you leave turnips in the ground?
While spring-planted turnips should not stay in the ground until winter, summer-planted crops can usually be made to last until late fall or winter. Turnips withstand frost well and don’t need to be dug until the ground freezes.
Why are my turnips all tops?
Bolting is generally caused by stress which can take the form of too little watering or poor soil. Bolting of turnips is common when the soil is void of nutrients, a problem that can be easily prevented with a little work prior to planning.
Are turnips good for the soil?
Turnips are cold hardy root vegetables that help improve soil. Cover cropping is one of the best ways to improve garden soil. In fact, leaving a portion of the garden in a mixed cover crop for a growing season—or better yet a full year—can have an enormous positive impact on fertility.
Should I cut back turnip leaves?
Older leaves turn yellow and begin to wither if you haven’t removed them for food or pruning purposes. Removing the old growth encourages new leaves to grow and is healthy for the turnip, whether grown for leaves or roots. Old, inedible leaves can be placed in a compost pile.
When should you pick turnips?
Quick-growing varieties can be harvested in 4-5 weeks, while longer-maturing varieties may take up to 8-10 weeks. If you’re growing turnips primarily for their greens, you can begin harvesting when the leaves are young and tender, when they are about 4-5 inches tall.
Do turnips grow back every year?
Turnips are hardy biennials, even though we treat them as annuals. They naturally flower and go to seed in the second year. In the first year, they sometimes may bolt (flower and and go to seed early) due to stress caused by extreme temperatures (cold or hot) or lack of nutrients or water.
Can you eat turnips that have flowered?
Once a turnip has bolted, roots become fibrous and inedible, and growth will slow or stop completely.
Are turnip leaves poisonous?
Turnip leaves are not toxic, and in fact, this root crop is also often grown for its tasty greens. Some varieties have been developed to optimize leaf production and may not produce quality turnip roots.
Will turnips continue to grow after frost?
Root crops like carrots, turnips, beets, rutabagas and parsnips can remain in the garden after a frost and still be removed in good condition later, but get them dug and stored before the ground freezes.
How long do turnips take to mature?
HARVEST: Young, radish-size turnips are ready in about 30 days; full-size turnips are ready in about 40–50 days. Roots are smoothest when small. STORAGE: Turnips with greens store at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity for 10–14 days.
What is the best day to sell turnips?
The Nook brothers will quote a different price for the turnips each day, so players have to take the gamble and sell off the turnips at the price they deem the best. However, players have reported that turnip prices are usually the highest on Wednesdays, making it the most profitable day to sell the same.
What can you not plant with turnips?
Do not plant turnips near other root crops such as parsnips, carrots, potatoes, or beets because they compete for the same nutrients in the soil.
Can you eat turnips raw?
Raw or cooked, turnips are incredibly versatile: Boil or steam turnips and add them to mashed potatoes for extra vitamins and minerals. Grate them raw into salads or slaws. Roast them with other root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and bring out their natural sweetness.
Does frost hurt turnips?
Colder temperatures (26-31 degrees F.) may burn foliage but will not kill broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, and turnip. The real cold weather champs are beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, collards, kale, parsley, and spinach.
Can you eat mature turnip leaves?
Turnip greens are part of the cruciferous vegetable family, as are kale and broccoli. They are high in nutrients and low in calories. Both the root and the leaves of the turnip are edible, but turnip greens refer specifically to the stem and leafy green part of the plant.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.