How to grow Turnip
Updated October 2026
Turnips are a quick, easy cool-season crop in the cabbage family that gives two harvests: tender greens and crisp roots. They grow best in the cool weather of spring and fall, ready in about 40 to 60 days, and are a Southern favorite for greens through fall and winter. Pick the roots young, at 2 to 3 inches across, for the sweetest flavor.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Turnip
Not to be confused with: Turnips are quicker and usually white-fleshed, with rough, hairy leaves. Rutabagas are larger, slower, yellow-fleshed and have smooth, waxy leaves.
Where to plant
Grow turnips in full sun in moist, well-drained soil that is not compacted. Raised beds or compost help heavy soil. They grow and taste best in cool weather; in heat the roots turn woody and hot and the plants bolt.
Rotate them with crops outside the cabbage family, as they share clubroot and other brassica problems.
- Florida and the Gulf South: sow from September through February, especially for greens. South Florida: October to January.
- Texas: sow in September and October, and in February. Desert Southwest: September to January.
- California: sow in fall and late winter to early spring.
- Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Plains: sow in late winter to early spring and again from late July to early fall.
- Northeast, Midwest, Mountain West, Northern Plains and the Pacific Northwest: sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring (mid to late April in Iowa) and again in August for fall.
- Hawaii: sow in the cooler months. Alaska: sow from May to July.
Choosing a variety
- Purple Top White Globe is the classic dual-purpose turnip with white roots and purple shoulders.
- White Lady and Japanese salad turnips such as Hakurei are small, mild and sweet, good raw.
- Seven Top and Shogoin are grown mainly for greens; Seven Top makes little root.
- Watermelon (a radish-like type) and other colorful varieties add interest.
How to plant
- Work in compost and, without a soil test, a light dressing of an all-purpose fertilizer before sowing.
- Sow seed 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in rows 12 to 18 inches apart as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, and again in late summer for fall.
- Keep the seedbed moist until seedlings emerge, usually within a week.
- Thin to 3 to 6 inches apart; eat the thinnings as greens.
- Mulch lightly with straw or grass clippings after thinning to hold moisture and suppress weeds.
Watering and feeding
Turnips need about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week from rain or irrigation. Steady moisture gives quick, tender roots; dry spells make them woody and bitter.
If greens are the main crop, a light side-dressing of nitrogen keeps leaves coming.
Harvesting
Pick greens when leaves are young, about 4 to 6 inches long, taking a few from each plant; you can keep harvesting leaves until you pull the roots.
Pull roots when they are 2 to 3 inches across; small salad turnips are best at 1 to 2 inches. Loosen the soil with a fork and pull gently by the tops. Light frosts improve the flavor of fall turnips. Store roots without tops in the fridge for up to two weeks, and greens in a bag for about a week.
Growing in pots
Small salad turnips and greens grow well in a pot or trough at least 10 inches deep. Keep the mix evenly moist and grow them in cool weather.
Using it
Cook turnip greens Southern style with smoked meat, or saute them with garlic. Roast, mash or braise the roots, or slice young salad turnips raw into salads.
Companion planting
Turnips are quick and fit well between slower crops, but keep them in the cabbage-family rotation.
Good companions
- Peas Spring peas finish as the bed is needed for a fall turnip sowing.
- Lettuce Another quick cool-season crop for the same bed.
- Onion A slim crop that shares the bed without shading.
- Nasturtium Brings in beneficial insects and can draw aphids away.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to turnip.
- Potato Both are root crops competing for space; keep them in separate beds.
- Mustard Greens Another cabbage-family crop with the same pests and diseases; keep them in separate rotations.
Pests and diseases
Turnips share the pests of the cabbage family. Row covers from sowing keep most of them off.
Pests to watch for
- Flea beetles Many tiny holes in the leaves of seedlings.
- Cabbage worms Green caterpillars and ragged holes in the greens.
- Aphids Gray, waxy clusters under the leaves, common on fall greens in the South.
- Cabbage root maggot Brown tunnels in the roots, mainly in the North in cool, wet springs.
Diseases to watch for
- Clubroot Wilting plants with swollen, distorted roots; avoid beds where brassicas had it.
- Downy mildew Yellow patches with gray fuzz underneath in cool, damp weather.
- Leaf spot Small white or tan spots on the leaves (white spot) in cool, wet weather.
Common questions
When should I plant turnips?
In cool weather: as soon as the soil can be worked in spring and again in late summer for fall. In Florida and the Gulf South, sow from fall through winter. Choose your region at the top of the page for the months.
How big should turnips be when I pull them?
About 2 to 3 inches across for most varieties, or 1 to 2 inches for salad turnips. Larger roots get woody and strong.
Can I eat turnip greens and roots from the same plant?
Yes. Take a few young leaves from each plant as they grow, leaving enough for the root to keep sizing up, then harvest the root.
Why are my turnips woody or bitter?
Heat, dry soil or leaving them too long. Grow them in spring and fall, water evenly, and harvest at 2 to 3 inches.
What is the difference between a turnip and a rutabaga?
Turnips are faster, usually white-fleshed, with hairy leaves. Rutabagas take about 90 days or more, have yellow flesh and smooth leaves, and store longer.
Sources we checked: Iowa State University Extension: Growing turnips and rutabagas in the home garden; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Turnips.
Loading sow calendar…