How to Grow Turnip
Turnip At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -7°C
Plant Family
Brassicaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Biennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Turnips handle frost, so sow them 2 to 3 weeks before your last spring frost, and again in late summer for a sweeter fall crop. Sow the seeds thinly 1 cm deep in a row and cover them. They sprout fast, in 3 to 7 days: thin them (pull the extras) so each turnip has 10 cm of room, and eat the thinnings as greens.
Turnips are one of the fastest roots you can grow, ready in about 40 days, and the leafy tops are good greens too. Sow them right where they will grow, since their one main root does not like being moved. Summer heat makes them woody and makes them bolt (rush to flower), so spring and fall sowings are best.
When To Start
First chance to plant
45 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Turnip?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Turnip Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Turnip Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow turnips outdoors now, they handle frost
3 weeks before your last frost· every year
Pull turnips young, about 5 to 8 cm across
45 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your turnip seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the turnip seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 17 days after you plant it
Your turnips are up! Thin them so each root has room to swell.
About 20 days after you plant it
Harvest is close! Keep the soil evenly moist so the roots stay tender.
About 34 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your turnip.
About 40 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Turnip's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 3–7 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow turnips in full sun, or in part shade in hot weather.
- 2Loosen the soil, mix in compost and pick out stones so the roots can swell evenly.
- 3Water deeply about once a week and keep the soil evenly moist, since dry spells make turnips woody and bitter.
- 4A little compost at sowing time is enough food, since too much feeding gives big leaves and small roots.
- 5Cover the bed with row cover right after sowing to keep out flea beetles (tiny black jumping bugs that chew holes in the leaves) and root maggots.
- 6Do not grow them where cabbage or its relatives grew last year, so pests and diseases in the soil cannot build up.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~40
Days to Maturity
17 cm
Mature Height
17 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Pull when roots are round and firm
How to Harvest
- 1Start pulling turnips about 40 to 45 days after sowing, when the roots are 5 to 8 cm across and firm.
- 2Young turnips are the sweetest and most tender, so pick them small rather than letting them grow big.
- 3Hold the leaves close to the root and pull straight up, loosening the soil with a fork first if it is hard.
- 4You can also pick a few outer leaves from each plant for greens while the roots keep growing.
- 5Twist off the tops, then store the roots in a bag in the fridge for a few weeks.
- 6Fall turnips can stay in the ground through light frosts, which makes them sweeter, but pull them before the soil freezes hard.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Turnips cross with napa cabbage, bok choy, mizuna and rapini, since they are all the same kind of plant, so let only one of them flower within about 800 m. Turnips make seed in their second year: in fall, dig your best roots, cut the leaves back to 3 cm, store them in damp sand somewhere cold but frost free, and replant them in early spring. A single plant cannot pollinate itself well, so replant at least 6 roots together, and remember hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true. Once the thin pods turn dry and brown, cut the stalks into a paper bag, let them finish drying, then crush the pods and pick out the round seeds. Store them labelled in a cool, dark, dry spot for about 5 years.
Seed Production
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