Getting started with turnips: an overview

Turnips are not a difficult crop to cultivate, and grow rapidly with the right care. Sound soil preparation, fertilisation, and plenty of water should ensure a good crop.

Turnips do well in deep, rich, loamy, slightly acid soils. Avoid soils that have a high clay texture, are wet or poorly drained. For good root growth, turnips need loose, well-aerated soil.

Bearing this in mind, it is a good idea to have the soil tested. (Your agricultural extension officer or provincial agriculture department can advise on the process.) This will enable you to prepare and fertilize the soil optimally.

The roots grow best in autumn at a low temperature (between 4,4°C to 15°C); they become bitter and pithy if grown to full size in warm weather. The leaves can endure repeated exposure to frost yet retain their nutritional quality.

Turnips need ample water during dry weather but otherwise are very hardy crops.

•  Soil preparation

Plough and disc the soil to produce a seedbed that is fine, firm and free of weeds and clods. Turnips can also be seeded into the sod or into the stubble of another crop with minimum tillage.