Can i plant turnips in september

Purple top turnips like ' Purple Top White Globe ' are the best choice for prolonged production of greens, and for leaving in the ground through winter for pollinator-friendly yellow flowers in spring.

In my experience, purple top turnips respond to cutting by developing numerous leaf buds all over the top of the root, Medusa-style, which enhances their ability to produce even more savory, nutritious greens. If you want to grow turnips as a forage crop for homestead animals, purple top turnip is the type you want. How to Plant Turnips When planted after onions, potatoes, and other vegetable of summer, turnips are sometimes called a "mop up" crop because of their ability to utilize soil-borne nitrogen left from the previous crop.

Thinned turnips I like to grow yellow turnips in rows where I can carefully control weeds and spacing and thus get a uniform crop. How to Grow Turnips Turnip seed germination is fast and sure, and thinning is usually necessary.

Turnip greens Turnip greens taste best when they are young and have been exposed to several days and nights of cool weather. Overwintering Turnips Mature turnips are surprisingly cold hardy. By Barbara Pleasant. We have a South African version of our website. Stay on this site Go to South African site. Water in nitrogen-rich fertilser to help the crop outgrow the pest.

Roots become swollen and distorted, and leaves become pale and yellow and wilt easily. Plants may die. Early turnips: harvest from May to September when the size of a golf ball for eating raw, or the size of a tennis ball for cooking.

Maincrop turnips: harvest from mid-October onwards, when the size of a golf ball. Turnip tops: harvest the leaves in March and April. The plants will re-sprout, so you can make several pickings. Buy turnips. Take action Why take action? Support us Donate Careers Commercial opportunities Leave a legacy.

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We have a guide on whitefly control here. Read our complete turnip pest control guide now. While turnips are susceptible to several fungal and bacterial infections, as well as rot, and nutrient deficiency, problems can be easily prevented with a bit of forethought.

Rotate crops regularly to prevent disease spread, plant in nutrient rich soil, and be sure to keep plants from getting waterlogged. These grey or white spots form and spread on the leaves and can ruin crops. More information on treating turnips with leaf spot can be found here.

This causes areas of white fuzz to form on the underside of leaves and can also damage roots. Learn more about downy mildew on turnip crops here.

This fungus causes leaves and stems become yellow, and roots to develop galls. Clubroot can live in the soil for at least 7 years after an initial infection. To combat clubroot, remove all affected plants and roots from the area and rotate crops. You should avoid planting turnips or related family members in infected soil for at least 7 years.

You may also consider planting resistant cultivars. This can cause dark spots to appear on turnip root flesh and can destroy the root system. It can also show up as rot on stored roots. To combat blackleg, practice regular crop rotation and remove any roots from the surrounding soil. When to harvest your turnips is partially up to you. It largely depends on whether you are harvesting primarily for greens, whether you prefer larger, hearty bulbs or sweeter tender young roots.

Other factors that affect harvest time include cultivar and growing conditions. To harvest both greens and roots, you can pull the whole plant with leaves and roots together when plants are about 2 inches in diameter, or you can top leaves when they are about a foot long and harvest roots later when they are 3 to 5 inches in diameter, depending on preference and variety.

Since cutting the leaves reduces the ability of the plant to store the solar energy needed to fuel root growth, only cut greens once. Another option is to remove only the outside leaves on each plant, allowing inner leaves to continue to stimulate root growth. This may allow you to harvest leaves from the same plant more than once.

Harvest your fall crop after a few light frosts but before a hard freeze. Although the plants can survive repeated freezes, repeated freezing and thawing can cause the texture of the roots suffers, causing cracks or rot. When properly stored, roots can keep for several months. The ideal storage temperature is between degrees F, so the fridge is ideal.

If you have a larger crop, you can also keep them in a dry root cellar or garage. With their sharp tasty greens, sweet tender roots, and fascinating historical significance, turnips are so much more than they are given credit for! So why not save a corner of your garden to plant a small patch this season? You can enjoy zesty green turnip salads all spring and hearty roots through fall. Veg to sow in September — mizuna lettuce leaves. Veg to sow in September — broad beans. Veg to sow in September — radishes.

Veg to sow in September — turnips. Veg to sow in September — onions. Subscribe now. Buy now for spring flowers. Buy now for instant colour. Offer Ends: Friday, 10 December, Clematis 'Winter Beauty'.