How to Grow Turnips
Brassica rapa
A fast, fuss-free dual crop — tender greens up top and sweet roots below.
By the Plants by Zone Editorial Team · Reviewed June 1, 2026
About turnips
Turnips are a quick-growing cool-season root that give you two crops in one: peppery greens and crisp, mild roots. They mature in as little as five to six weeks, making them ideal for spring and fall succession sowings. Cool weather keeps them sweet and tender.
When to plant and harvest turnips
Timing is relative to your frost dates. Find your USDA zone for exact dates, or browse the month-by-month calendars.
Start seeds indoors
Not recommended — roots dislike transplanting
Transplant outdoors
Not applicable
Direct sow
2–4 weeks before last frost, and again in late summer for fall
Harvest
Spring and fall
How to grow turnips step by step
- 1
Direct sow into loose soil a few weeks before the last frost, then again in late summer.
- 2
Thin seedlings to 2–4 in apart so roots have room to swell — eat the thinnings as greens.
- 3
Keep evenly moist for fast, tender growth; drought makes roots woody and hot.
- 4
Harvest greens lightly while leaving the root to size up, or grow some plants just for greens.
- 5
Pull roots young, at 2–3 in across, for the sweetest, mildest flavor.
- 6
Sow a fall crop for roots that sweeten with light frost.
Common problems growing turnips
⚠ Woody, pithy, or hot roots
From slow growth, heat, or over-maturity — keep soil moist, grow in cool weather, and harvest young.
⚠ Flea beetles peppering the greens
Cover seedlings with row cover; the damage is mostly cosmetic on roots grown for the bulb.
⚠ All tops, small roots
Too crowded or too much nitrogen — thin properly and avoid over-feeding.
✗ Keep away from
🧺 Harvesting turnips
Pull turnips young — around 2 to 3 inches across — for sweet, crisp roots, since large ones turn woody and sharp. Snip outer greens as a cut-and-come-again crop, and let a fall sowing catch a light frost to sweeten the roots even more.
Turnips: frequently asked questions
Can you eat turnip greens?＋
Absolutely — the greens are nutritious and tasty, cooked like other hardy greens. Many gardeners grow turnips for the tops as much as the roots.
How fast do turnips grow?＋
Very fast — some varieties are ready in 35–50 days. That makes them perfect for succession sowing in spring and fall.
Grow turnips in your zone
See exactly when to plant and what else to grow alongside turnips, tailored to your USDA hardiness zone.
