Rutabaga / Swedish turnip

Plant family

Crucifers (Brassicaceae)

Also known as

Neep

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

High

Plant distance

40 cm

Row spacing

40 cm

Seeding depth

1 cm

Instructions

The season for this plant has not yet begun. The following instructions are for the beginning season.

Beginning of May

Sowing

Beginning of May

Fertilizing

Every two Weeks

Mid of May

Thinning

Description

Turnip is a subspecies of rapeseed. It is to be distinguished from the turnip and is considered a typical winter vegetable.

Growing tips

The best time for direct sowing is mid-May to July, after which the turnips will not reach their full size until the fall. The seeds should not be sown too deep, 1 cm sowing depth is ideal. The turnip needs a row spacing of 30-40 cm, within the rows they grow best at a distance of 40 cm from the next plant. Once the seedlings have formed their first leaves, you can separate them. Turnips are relatively easy to care for and do not require any special care measures. Keep the soil around the turnips loose and moist to prevent fleas from making themselves at home and eating the leaves. Loosened soil also promotes the formation of beautiful beetroot bodies. Otherwise, it is the same as with cabbage: covering with a crop protection net helps against cabbage white butterflies, earth fleas and whiteflies. The beets can be harvested until November. Smaller turnips (approx. 10 - 15 cm in diameter) have a more intense flavor, large turnips can tend to be woody, especially if they have grown in dry and hot conditions. Turnips tolerate short-term frost well, but should be harvested before prolonged frosts. For harvesting, you can simply pull the turnips out of the soil by hand if the soil is loose; if the soil is firmer, you can use a digging fork to loosen the soil a little beforehand.