Turnips...how to grow?

[rodriguezpoultry]

I have decided to try once more..before it's too late to grow something that I can eat.

The tomato plants looked beautiful, just didn't get any fruit even though there were blooms galore.

I've decided turnips (which taste SO good) might be a good last ditch effort. I've read that I need to plant the seeds 1/4" down and that they need to have 3" spacing.

I will be planting them in a pot, since I can't put in the ground (apartment).

How much sun do they need? There weren't any directions on that in the seed packet. Where do I need to place them? How cold can they get before dying? Is it already too late to plant?

 

[hoodat]

They need as much sun as you can give them. Turnips are a favorite Winter crop in your part of the country. They can take quite a bit of frost but a hard freeze will top kill them. If you can get good root growth before a hard freeze they will last all winter under mulch.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Is me planting them right now (from seed) too late in the season?

Will being in afternoon sun be alright or do they need more? We face the evening sun...westerly?

 

[hoodat]

It probably isn't too late but of course you never know what kind of weather is ahead. It's certainly worth a shot. Turnip seed is cheap. I used to buy mine at the farm co-op. You can get large packs cheap there.

 

[bills]

How warm, and how many hours of light are you getting per day in Arkansas? There may not be enough light..or warmth..

I'm just now harvesting a few of my larger turnips from a spring planting. I find that the wire worms really damage the lower part of them, but I simply cut that off. All the root above the surface is fine, and free of worms. You could try digging in some DE in the bed, that is supposed to help reduce the worms.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Luckily, mine are growing in pots, so no bed issues.

As of today, it's around 84* during the day, 54* at night. Hopefully we'll go back to those nice 50* highs again soon.

I "believe" the sun rises about 7AM and sets at 7PM, so 12 hours. My plants are on the westerly facing patio (apartment looks to the west).


I looked today and have 5 sprouts coming up!!!

 

[lesa]

Good for you! Glad you gave the seeds a try! Fingers crossed that you will enjoy some turnips!

 

[hoodat]

I prefer to grow my turnips in bands rather than rows. I drag a garden rake in a line to roughen the soil and then scatter the seed. That leaves them growing in a band the width of the rake. When they are growing I thin to an appropriate distance depending on the size of the variety.

 

[Andy J]

I plant mine in the same fashion,hoodat.The problem here is that it is so dry I have to water them to get them to come up.Then the soil gets crusty as it dries and the sprouts can't come through the crust.

We are having record breaking temps here,low 90's.Just last week ,we had record lows,37 degrees,and a serious drought on top of that.It's very tough trying to garden in these conditions.

Andy

 

[bills]

As of today, it's around 84* during the day, 54* at night. Hopefully we'll go back to those nice 50* highs again soon.

I "believe" the sun rises about 7AM and sets at 7PM, so 12 hours. My plants are on the westerly facing patio (apartment looks to the west).
I looked today and have 5 sprouts coming up!!!

Wow! I can only dream of those 84* temps at this time of the year..

First frost on the ground this am.. I'm not impressed..lol