Beginner Seasoned
Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.
The Guide Crops Vol. 003

Turnip

in Zone 9, this week

Turnips are a fast cool-weather crop in the cabbage family that you grow for two foods at once: the round root and the leafy greens, which you cook like collards or spinach. You plant the seeds right in the garden, and they are quick: they sprout in about a week to ten days, and most are ready in roughly 40 to 60 days, with fast salad kinds ready in about 35 days and greens sooner. Roots taste best pulled small, about 2 to 3 inches across; in heat above about 75°F they turn woody and strong-tasting, and hot, long days make the plant flower (bolt), so the fall crop is usually the best one. Turnips handle frost and get sweeter in cool weather. Because turnips are a cabbage-family plant, their bugs and diseases are the cabbage-family ones (flea beetle, cabbage maggot, aphids, harlequin bug, plus clubroot and some leaf diseases), so you rotate and group them with cabbage and kale, not with carrots. When you plant depends on your climate: spring and fall where summers are cool, and fall through early spring where summers are hot. Turnip (Brassica rapa) is a fast, cool-season, dual-purpose crop in the cabbage family (Brassicaceae), grown for both its swollen root and its edible leaves, the turnip greens cooked like collards or spinach. It is direct-sown and quick: seed germinates in about 7 to 10 days, and most varieties size a usable root in roughly 40 to 60 days, with fast salad types ready in about 35 days and greens harvestable sooner. Roots are sweetest, mildest, and most tender pulled at about 2 to 3 inches across; sustained heat above about 75°F turns them woody, pithy, and sharp, and long days plus heat push the plant to bolt, so the fall crop is the prime one in most climates. Turnips tolerate frost and sweeten in cool weather. As a brassica, turnip's pests and diseases are the cabbage-family set, flea beetle, cabbage maggot, aphids, and harlequin bug, with clubroot, white rust, downy mildew, Alternaria leaf spot, and black rot, so it is rotated and grouped with the cole crops, not with carrots. The planting season inverts by climate: spring and fall where summers are cool, and fall through early spring where summers are hot.

Turnip mature plant
Fig. 01 · Turnip, mature Zone 9
Mature in
40-60d
from transplant
Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade
6-8 hrs daily
Water
Regular
1 inch / week
Spacing
2 to 3 in
between plants
Soil pH
6-6.8
slightly acidic
Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

October 21 · Zone 9 · Stage 01 · Germination

Off-season for turnip in zone 9.

Seasoned
Microclimate · Zone 9a vs 9b

Your zone, at a finer grain

Zone 9 averages a last frost around March 1. Within Zone 9, the colder half (9a, winters down to 20°F) runs about a week later. The warmer half (9b, winters down to 25°F) runs about a week earlier. The plant app picks your subzone from your ZIP.

SubzoneLast springFirst fallGrowing daysWinter minFruits reliably
9aMar 8Nov 24~26120-25°FYes · two seasons
9bFeb 28Nov 30~27525-30°FYes · two seasons

Averages from 8 weather stations per subzone, drawn from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Your actual frost date can vary by up to two weeks based on elevation, proximity to water, and local topography.

Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals Methodology
Your climate region in Zone 9
The season at a glance

Planting calendar

In Zone 9, turnip can be planted February through May, then again September, skipping the summer heat. Harvest runs April through December.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
plant
too cold
plant
plant
plant
plant
too hot
too hot
too hot
plant
too late
too late
too early
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
indoors
plant out
harvest
Above-ground cropBest planted on a waning moon
Seasoned
Stagger your sowings

Succession planting

Instead of planting all your turnips at once, sow a short row every 3 to 4 weeks. That way they are ready a few at a time over several weeks. In places with cool summers, start in spring and keep going into early summer, then sow again in late summer for the main fall crop. In hot-summer places, grow them in fall, winter, and early spring and skip the summer heat. The fall crop is usually the best one.Turnips succession well: sow a short row every 3 to 4 weeks through the cool-season window rather than one large planting, so roots mature in sequence. In cold-summer climates that means spring through early summer, then a late-summer sowing for the main fall crop; in hot-summer climates it means fall through early spring, skipping the heat. Stop spring sowings before sustained heat, since turnips maturing in hot soil turn woody, pithy, and strong and tend to bolt. The fall crop is the prime one in most regions.

Every 3 weeks · sow a short new rowUp to 12 sowings a seasonToo hot to sow midsummer
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
sow
harvest
keep sowing
too hot
continuous harvest
The season, mapped

Seed to garden

Plant turnip seeds right in the garden where they will grow, since turnips do not like being moved. Sow them about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep once the soil is no longer frozen or soggy (about 40 to 45°F), roughly 2 to 3 weeks before your last spring frost, and again in late summer for a fall crop, which is usually the best crop. They sprout in about 7 to 10 days. Plant a little thick and plan to thin them later; the little plants you pull out are tasty baby greens. Keep the soil surface damp until the sprouts appear.Direct-sow turnips into the garden; they grow fast from seed in place and, like most root crops, do not transplant well. Sow about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep once the soil is workable and at least 40 to 45°F, roughly 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost, and again in late summer for the fall crop, which is the better crop in most climates. Seeds germinate best at about 60 to 85°F and emerge in roughly 7 to 10 days. Sow a little thick and plan to thin: the thinnings are edible baby greens. Keep the surface moist and uncrusted until the seedlings emerge.

  1. 01
    Sow outside
    Feb - Mar, Sep
  2. 02
    First harvest
    From Apr 1
    40-60 days from sowing
Start method
Direct
Soil temp
45-85°F
From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Germination
01
Germination
Days 0-10 · current stage
Bare soil for about a week to ten days, then a quick, even crop of seedlings, because turnip seed sprouts fast. They will not come up well if the surface dries out or forms a hard crust.Bare soil for about 7 to 10 days, then a quick, even flush of seedlings, since turnip seed germinates fast and uniformly. The first leaves are narrow seed leaves; emergence stalls if the surface dries or crusts.
Keep the top of the soil damp until the seedlings appear, watering gently in warm or windy weather so it never dries into a crust.Keep the surface consistently moist until emergence, watering lightly in warm or windy weather, and never let a crust form. Turnips need little help here beyond even moisture.
FROM PLANT · Turnip seeds sprout quickly, usually in 7 to 10 days, so they are easy to start. Just keep the soil surface damp and free of a hard crust until they come up, and plant them shallow, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.Turnip seed germinates fast and evenly, usually in 7 to 10 days at 60 to 85°F, so emergence is rarely the problem. Keep the surface evenly moist and uncrusted until the seedlings appear, and sow shallowly, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.
FROM PLANT · Plant turnip seeds a bit thick and plan to thin them later, since not every seed sprouts and the extras make good baby greens. Plant closer together for greens or small salad turnips, wider apart for big roots.Sow turnips a little thick and plan to thin, since not every seed comes up and a fuller stand lets you thin for baby greens. Sow closer for a salad or greens crop, wider for full-size roots.
02
Seedling
Days 10-25
Little seedlings growing their first true leaves, planted a bit thick so they are too crowded to make good roots until you thin them. Look for tiny round holes from flea beetles, which go after young plants.Seedlings putting out true leaves, sown a little thick so the stand is too dense for good roots until thinned. Watch for flea-beetle shot-holes on the young leaves, which hit seedlings hardest.
Thin the seedlings to about 2 to 3 inches apart once they are 2 to 4 inches tall, snipping the extras at the soil line. Eat the thinnings as baby greens. Keep weeds out and the soil evenly damp, and use a row cover if flea beetles are bad.Thin to a final 2 to 3 inches apart once seedlings reach 2 to 4 inches, snipping the extras at the soil line; the thinnings are edible baby greens. Keep the bed weed-free and evenly moist, and cover with row fabric if flea beetles are heavy.
FROM PLANT · Thin the turnips to about 2 to 3 inches apart once they are 2 to 4 inches tall, snipping the extras at the soil line instead of pulling, so you do not disturb the ones you keep. Crowded turnips stay small. Plant closer if you just want greens.Thin to a final 2 to 3 inches once seedlings reach 2 to 4 inches, snipping at the soil line rather than pulling to spare the keepers' roots. Crowded turnips stay small and misshapen; closer spacing suits salad and greens types.
FROM PLANT · Flea beetles make tiny holes in young turnip leaves and are worst on spring seedlings. The best fix is a row cover (a light fabric) laid over the bed when you plant. Healthy, well-watered plants usually grow past light damage, and fall turnips get hit less.Flea beetles riddle young turnip leaves with shot-holes and hit spring seedlings hardest. A floating row cover laid at sowing and sealed at the edges is the most reliable defense; a vigorous, well-watered stand outgrows light feeding, and fall crops face less pressure.
03
Established
Days 25-40
Leafy tops growing while the turnip root swells underground; you may see the tops of the roots poking up at the soil line. You can pick a few outer leaves for greens without hurting the root.Steady leaf growth as the plants build the swelling root below; the shoulders of the roots begin to show at the soil surface. Outer leaves can be taken sparingly for greens without checking root growth.
Keep the watering steady, about 1 inch a week, so the roots stay tender and mild and do not get bitter. Do not over-feed with nitrogen if you want good roots. Watch for aphids on the leaves and leaf spots in wet weather.Maintain even moisture, about 1 inch per week, to keep roots tender and mild and prevent bitterness and pithiness. Go easy on nitrogen for a root crop. Watch for aphids on the greens and leaf diseases in wet weather.
FROM PLANT · Keep the water steady, about 1 inch a week counting rain, in fewer but deeper waterings. Letting the soil dry out, or swinging from dry to soaked, is what makes turnips bitter, woody, and cracked. Being steady matters more than giving a lot at once.Hold even moisture, roughly 1 inch per week including rain, in deeper, less frequent soakings. Drought and a dry-then-flooded cycle are the main causes of bitter, woody, pithy, and cracked turnips, so steadiness matters more than volume.
FROM PLANT · Do not over-feed turnips with nitrogen if you want good roots, since too much (and fresh manure) grows big leafy tops and small, branched roots. If you are growing turnips for the greens, a little more nitrogen is fine, because the leaves are what you want.Go easy on nitrogen for a root crop: excess nitrogen and fresh manure grow lush tops at the expense of the root and can branch it. A crop grown for greens is the exception and rewards more nitrogen, since the leaves are the harvest.
04
Harvest
Days 40-60
Roots grown to about 2 to 3 inches across, the best size for sweet, tender turnips. Check by brushing the soil off a shoulder rather than counting days. Most are ready around 50 to 60 days, salad kinds sooner, and they taste milder and sweeter in cool weather.Roots sizing to about 2 to 3 inches across, the sweet, tender, mild stage; check by brushing a shoulder rather than by the calendar. Most main-crop varieties reach this near 50 to 60 days, salad types sooner. Flavor is milder and sweeter in cool weather, sharper and pithier in heat.
Pull one turnip to check the size before digging the rest. Do not leave them to get too big or sit through hot weather, which makes them woody and strong. Keep picking the greens, and in cold areas pile straw over the row to keep digging; frost makes them sweeter.Pull a test turnip to check size before harvesting in earnest. Do not let roots oversize or sit in heat, which turns them woody, pithy, and strong-flavored. Keep picking the greens, and in cold regions mulch to hold roots in the ground; frost sweetens them.
FROM PLANT · Harvest by size, not a set date: a turnip about 2 to 3 inches across is at its best. Most reach this around 50 to 60 days, salad kinds sooner. Turnips left to get too big or sit in hot weather turn woody and strong-tasting.Harvest by size, not the calendar: a root about 2 to 3 inches across is the sweet, tender, mild stage, which most main-crop turnips reach near 50 to 60 days and salad types sooner. Roots left to oversize or sit in heat turn woody, pithy, and strong.
FROM PLANT · Do not forget the leaves: pick a few young outer ones as you go and cook the rest like spinach or collards. There is no rush to dig mature turnips in cool weather, since they get sweeter after a light frost and keep in the ground under a layer of straw.Do not forget the greens: pick a few young outer leaves through the season and cook the rest like spinach or collards at harvest. Mature roots are in no rush in cool weather, since flavor sweetens after light frost and roots hold in the ground under a straw mulch.
Beginner
Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Turnips like loose, fertile, well-drained soil with no hard layer underneath. Loosen the bed about 8 to 10 inches down and rake out rocks and clods, because the root grows rounder and smoother in loose soil and comes out forked or lumpy in packed, stony ground. Mix in some compost or well-rotted (never fresh) manure, since fresh manure can make the roots branch and grow hairy. Aim for a soil pH around 6.0 to 6.8. If clubroot, a disease that swells and deforms the roots, has been a problem in your garden, adding lime to raise the pH closer to 7.0 to 7.2 helps hold it back.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil
The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade · 6-8 hrs/day
Water
Regular
Spacing
2 to 3 inches
Soil
sandy loam, loam
Days to maturity
40-60 days from transplant
Soil pH
6 to 6.8
Container OK?
Yes · 3+ gal pot
Germination temp
45-85°F
In a pot

Yes, 3 gallons and up

Turnips are a good container crop, even better than carrots for shallow pots, because the root sits near the surface. Use a pot at least 8 inches deep with drainage holes and loose potting mix, keep the soil evenly moist, and thin the seedlings to about 3 to 4 inches apart. A wide, shallow tub also makes a nice greens-only crop you can snip and let regrow.Turnips suit containers well and tolerate shallower pots than carrots since the round root swells near the surface. Use a container at least 8 inches deep with drainage holes and a loose potting mix, keep moisture even to keep roots tender and mild, and thin to a final 3 to 4 inches apart. A wide, shallow tub is also well suited to a cut-and-come-again greens crop, and a loose soilless mix avoids introducing clubroot.

Pot size
3 gallons and up; 5 gallons is comfortable
Drainage
Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Do not let the pot sit in a saucer of water. Turnips need steady, even moisture, but soil that stays soggy will rot the roots, so empty the saucer within an hour of watering.Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Do not let the pot stand in a saucer of water. Turnips need even moisture for tender, mild roots, but waterlogged mix causes rot and favors clubroot; empty the saucer within an hour of watering.
Watering
Pots dry out much faster than the ground, so check daily in warm weather. Turnips need steady moisture, if the soil keeps drying out the roots turn bitter and pithy. Keep it evenly damp but not waterlogged.Containers dry far faster than garden beds, and uneven moisture turns turnip roots bitter, pithy, and cracked. Check the top inch or two daily in warm weather and water before the mix dries out; aim for consistently moist but never soggy.
Depth and shape
At least 8 inches deep. Turnips suit containers well and need less depth than carrots because the root is round and sits near the surface. A pot 8 inches or deeper with adequate width works well; a 5-gallon bucket or a window box at least 8 to 10 inches deep holds a good crop, and a wider, shallower tub is ideal for a cut-and-come-again greens crop. Width matters as much as depth, since you want several roots thinned to 3 to 4 inches apart. Provide drainage holes and a loose potting mix.
Self-watering pot
A self-watering container suits turnips once they are growing, because steady sub-irrigation delivers the even moisture that keeps roots tender and mild. It does not help germination, though: the seed sits at the dry surface above the wicking zone, so keep the top inch moist by hand until the stand is up.
Mix
Container potting mix. Use a light, loose potting mix; a handful of compost improves moisture-holding. Avoid garden soil, which compacts in a pot and can introduce the soilborne clubroot pathogen.
Feeding
Turnips are light feeders for roots. Mix a balanced slow-release fertilizer into the potting mix at sowing, or apply a half-strength liquid feed once the tops are a few inches tall. Excess nitrogen drives leafy tops at the expense of roots, which is acceptable for a greens crop.
Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for turnip

Preferred
6 to 6.8
Tolerated
5.5 to 7.5

Soil pH measures how acidic or alkaline your soil is, on a scale from 1 to 14 where 7 is neutral. Turnips like it slightly acidic to neutral, about 6.0 to 6.8, though they grow across a fairly wide range. A cheap soil test from your local extension office tells you your number and whether to add lime. One turnip-specific point: a root disease called clubroot is worse in acidic soil, so if your turnips have come out swollen and deformed, raising the pH toward 7.0 to 7.2 with lime helps hold the disease back.Turnips grow best at a slightly acidic to neutral pH of about 6.0 to 6.8; Clemson recommends maintaining roughly 6.0 to 6.5, and Minnesota gives a workable range of about 6.0 to 7.5. The brassica-specific reason to watch pH is clubroot: the pathogen is favored by acidic soil, and the standard cultural control is to lime the bed toward a neutral to slightly alkaline pH of about 7.2 to 7.5 where the disease is established. There is thus a mild tension between the ideal growing pH and the clubroot-suppressing pH, resolved by liming only on a clubroot-prone bed. A standard soil test from your local extension office removes the guesswork before sowing.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much
Frequency
Keep the soil evenly damp, and pay closest attention while the seeds are sprouting and later while the roots are bulking up. From planting until the sprouts appear (about 7 to 10 days), keep the surface moist so it does not dry into a hard crust. After that, give about 1 inch of water a week, counting rain, in fewer but deeper waterings, and a bit more in hot or sandy conditions.Even, consistent moisture is the rule, and it matters most during germination and again as the roots size up. Turnip seed and seedlings need a moist, uncrusted surface for the roughly 7 to 10 days to emergence. Once established, turnips want steady moisture rather than a wet-dry swing: aim for about 1 inch of water per week including rain, up to 1 to 2 inches in heat or sandy soil, delivered in deeper, less frequent soakings.
Amount
About 1 inch of water a week, including rain, once the plants are growing, up to about 2 inches in hot, dry weather or sandy soil. While the seeds are sprouting, just keep the top of the soil damp, not soggy.Roughly 1 inch per week including rainfall once established, rising toward 1 to 2 inches in heat or on sandy soil and easing in cool or clay soil. During germination the seedbed needs only enough to stay evenly moist near the surface, not soaked.
Method
Water gently at soil level, using a soft spray, soaker hose, or drip line. A hard blast from the hose can wash out the shallow seeds or pack the soil into a crust the sprouts cannot push through, so keep it gentle. Watering at the soil also keeps the leaves dry, which helps prevent the leaf diseases turnips get in wet weather.Water at the base with a gentle setting, soaker hose, or drip line to keep the surface evenly moist without crusting the bed or washing out the shallow-sown seed. Base watering also keeps the foliage dry, which limits the leaf diseases (downy mildew, white rust, leaf spot) turnips are prone to in wet weather.
Signs of trouble
Too much water
If the soil stays soaking wet, turnips can rot, seedlings can damp off, and the clubroot disease gets worse. Watch for yellow leaves, soft roots, and a constantly wet, sour-smelling bed. If you see these, water less and make sure the soil drains well.Constantly saturated soil invites damping-off, root rots, and clubroot and can yellow the tops; soft roots and a sour, waterlogged bed are signs to back off. Poor drainage is the usual cause, which is why loose, well-draining soil matters for this crop.
Too little water
Dry, cracked soil on top, droopy or dull leaves, and slow growth mean the turnips need more water. Letting them go dry is the main thing that makes the roots bitter, woody, and pithy, and swinging from bone dry to soaked can crack them. Keep the watering steady.Dry, cracked surface soil, dull or wilting tops, and slow growth signal too little water. Drought is the classic cause of poor turnip quality: it drives bitter, woody, strong-flavored, and pithy roots, and an irregular dry-then-wet cycle can crack them.
Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency
low
Type
Balanced
When to start
Work compost and a balanced fertilizer into the bed before sowing; side-dress lightly once seedlings are established, more for a greens crop than a root crop.

Turnips do not need heavy feeding. Mix a balanced fertilizer and some compost into the bed before planting, and give one light feeding later only if the plants look weak and pale. Go easy on nitrogen if you want good roots, because too much grows big leafy tops and small roots. If you are growing turnips mainly for the greens, a little extra nitrogen is fine, since the leaves are what you are after. Do not use fresh manure, which makes the roots hairy and forked.Turnips are light to moderate feeders. Work well-finished compost and a balanced fertilizer into the bed before sowing, then side-dress lightly once the tops are established if growth is weak. The key brassica-root caution is nitrogen: excess nitrogen grows lush tops at the expense of the root and can leave roots small and poorly formed, so go easy where you want good roots. A crop grown mainly for greens tolerates and even rewards more nitrogen, since the leaves are the harvest. Avoid fresh manure, which both over-supplies nitrogen and causes hairy, branched roots.

N · P · K = 10-10-10

The three numbers on a fertilizer bag are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K). Turnips do well with a balanced blend where the numbers are about even, like a 10-10-10, mixed into the soil before planting along with compost. Do not pile on high-nitrogen fertilizer if you want roots, since it grows leaves instead. If you are after the greens, a bit more nitrogen is okay.Turnips want steady phosphorus and potassium for root development plus modest nitrogen, so a balanced blend such as a 10-10-10 worked into the bed before sowing suits a root crop, with most of the feeding coming from incorporated compost. Hold back on nitrogen for roots, since it pushes leafy tops over the root; a greens crop can take more. Skip fresh manure, which over-supplies nitrogen and branches the roots.

Try 10-10-10
Who grows well together

Companion planting

Turnips are easygoing neighbors. They share a bed nicely with leafy greens like lettuce, with onions and other alliums, which grow upright and shallow and do not crowd the roots, and they do well following beans or peas that added nitrogen to the soil. The main plants to keep away from turnips are their own cabbage-family relatives: cabbage, broccoli, kale, radish, and mustard. These cousins share the turnip's pests, the flea beetle and the cabbage maggot, plus the soil disease clubroot, so growing them together lets those problems build up. As always, do not trust every companion chart online, since many of their claims have never been tested. Turnips fit easily into mixed beds, and their clearest companion rule is the brassica avoid: keep them away from the other cabbage-family crops (cabbage, broccoli, kale, radish, mustard), which share the turnip's flea beetles, cabbage maggot, and the soilborne clubroot pathogen, so clustering the family concentrates that pressure. On the positive side, leafy greens like lettuce and shallow-rooted alliums share the surface layer while the turnip swells just below, and a legume grown the season before leaves nitrogen behind. Treat the good pairings as sensible defaults rather than proven effects: as University of Minnesota's research review stresses, most companion-planting claims are tradition rather than tested science, so use them as a starting point and watch your own results.

Other
Lettuce and other leafy greens
Lettuce and other quick, shallow-rooted greens grow near the surface and finish fast, while the turnip root swells just below them, so they share a bed without fighting for the same space. Both like the same cool weather, a handy way to fit more into a small garden.Lettuce and turnips interplant well on root structure and timing: lettuce is shallow-rooted and quick, the turnip swells just under the surface and takes a little longer, so they draw on different layers and share the cool-season window. This is a space-and-soil benefit rather than a pest one, and one of the more dependable interplants for that reason. Traditional
Onions and other alliums
Onions, leeks, and garlic grow tall and narrow with shallow roots, so they tuck between turnip rows without crowding the roots, and their strong smell is widely used to help confuse some leaf-eating pests. A popular, space-saving pairing.Alliums are a classic interplant for root crops: shallow-rooted and upright, they share the bed without competing for the turnip's space, and their sulfur volatiles are widely credited with masking the crop from some leaf-feeding pests. The space-use benefit is solid; the pest deterrence is plausible but not proven for turnips specifically. Well-grounded
Beans and peas (as a preceding crop)
Beans and peas pull nitrogen from the air and leave some in the soil, so turnips planted after a legume crop get a gentle nutrient boost. They are better as the crop you grow before turnips than right alongside, since bushy legumes can shade the low turnips.Legumes earn their place in the turnip rotation more than the turnip bed: beans and peas fix nitrogen and leave residual fertility, so a turnip crop following a legume benefits, which is why extension rotation guides list legumes among good preceding crops for brassicas. Grown concurrently the value is mostly space-sharing, and tall climbing legumes shade the low turnip, so the cleaner use is in sequence. Traditional
Keep apart from
Other cabbage-family crops (cabbage, broccoli, kale, radish, mustard) Cabbage, broccoli, kale, radish, mustard, and other cabbage-family plants are turnip's close relatives and share its pests, the flea beetle and the cabbage maggot, plus the soil disease clubroot. Growing them right next to turnips lets those problems build up, so give them separate spots and rotate where each goes each year.Turnips are brassicas, so the other cabbage-family crops, cabbage, broccoli, kale, radish, mustard, share their exact pest and disease spectrum: flea beetles, the cabbage maggot, and the soilborne clubroot pathogen. Clustering the family in one bed sustains and concentrates that pressure, the same reason extension sources advise rotating among brassicas rather than planting them together year after year. Traditional
Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key
Harvest signals

When to pick

Turnips give you two harvests. You can pick the leaves young all along, taking a few outer ones per plant so the root keeps growing, and the seedlings you thin out are your first baby greens. The roots are ready by size, not a set date: brush the soil off a shoulder and pull when the turnip is about 2 to 3 inches across, the sweet, tender stage, usually around 50 to 60 days, sooner for salad kinds. Do not let them get too big or sit through hot weather, which makes them woody and strong. There is no rush in cool weather: they get sweeter after a light frost and hold in the ground. In cold areas, pile straw over the row and dig them into early winter until the ground freezes. Pull by hand, or loosen with a fork in heavy soil, and cut off the tops, keeping the greens to cook and storing the roots separately.Turnips are a dual harvest. The leaves can be picked young throughout, taking a few outer leaves per plant so the root keeps sizing; the thinnings at the seedling stage are the first baby greens, and greens-type varieties are cut and allowed to regrow. The roots are ready by size rather than the calendar: brush soil from a shoulder and pull when it is about 2 to 3 inches across, the sweet, tender, mild stage, which for most main-crop varieties lands near 50 to 60 days and for salad types sooner. Do not let roots oversize or sit in heat, which turns them woody, pithy, and strong. There is no rush in cool weather: flavor sweetens after light frost, and roots hold in the ground. In cold regions a heavy straw mulch lets you dig through early winter until the ground freezes hard. Lift by hand, or loosen with a fork in heavier soil, and cut off the tops, keeping the greens for the kitchen and storing the roots separately.

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Yield

What to expect

Each plant gives you one turnip root, plus leaves you can eat as it grows. It helps to think by row length: a 10-foot row gives roughly 5 to 10 pounds of turnips depending on size, plus greens picked as outer leaves and thinnings.One root per plant, plus a flush of edible leaves along the way. Yield is best thought of by row length: at a 2 to 3 inch final spacing, a 10-foot row yields roughly 5 to 10 pounds of roots depending on size at harvest, alongside greens taken as outer leaves and thinnings. A greens-only crop yields more leaf per foot of row.

Turnips do not regrow a new root after you pull them, since each plant makes one root. A planting is ready about 50 to 60 days after sowing and you harvest it over a couple of weeks, while the leaves give a longer, light harvest. For a steady supply, plant a new short row every 3 to 4 weeks.There is no repeat root harvest; a sowing matures over a short window roughly 50 to 60 days after planting and is pulled over a couple of weeks. The greens give a longer, light pick-as-you-go harvest. Continuous supply comes from succession sowing every 3 to 4 weeks through the cool-season window. Turnips are grown fresh from seed each year, so your very first planting can do just as well as any later one. The main things that decide your results are loose soil, thinning the seedlings, and keeping the bed evenly damp.Turnips are an annual grown fresh from seed every season, so there is no first-year-versus-later distinction as with perennials; the first sowing performs as well as any, provided the soil is loose, the stand is thinned, and moisture stays even.

What changes yield
Thinning: a crowded, unthinned stand yields small, misshapen roots.Even moisture: drought or dry-then-wet cycles turn roots bitter, pithy, and cracked.Temperature at finish: roots maturing in sustained heat above about 75°F turn woody, pithy, and strong, and plants may bolt.Nitrogen balance: excess nitrogen or fresh manure grows tops at the expense of roots.Soil looseness: stones and compaction cause forked, misshapen roots.
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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

There are turnips for different uses. Purple Top White Globe is the dependable classic for both roots and greens, ready in about 50 to 55 days. For sweet, mild turnips you can eat raw, look for fast salad types like Hakurei or Tokyo, ready in about 35 to 40 days. If you mainly want the leafy greens, grow Shogoin or Seven Top (which makes greens but no real root). Golden Ball has sweet yellow flesh and Scarlet Queen has red skin. Plant salad and greens kinds a bit thicker and pick them young; let regular turnips grow to about 2 to 3 inches across.Turnip variety choice splits by purpose and speed. Purple Top White Globe is the dependable all-rounder for roots and greens, maturing in about 50 to 55 days; for a sweet, mild root eaten raw, the fast white salad types (Hakurei, Tokyo Cross) are ready in roughly 35 to 40 days. Greens growers choose leafy types such as Shogoin or the rootless Seven Top, which put their energy into abundant tops. For color and flavor, Golden Ball offers sweet yellow flesh and Scarlet Queen a red skin. Sow salad and greens types thicker and harvest young; let main-crop and storage types size to about 2 to 3 inches. Full-size storage roots can take 60 to 80 days.

Purple Top White Globe
The classic all-purpose turnip, round with a purple-and-white root and good greens, about 50 to 55 days.
Hakurei
A sweet, mild white salad turnip (F1) eaten raw or cooked, fast at about 38 days, with tender greens.
Tokyo Cross and other Tokyo types
Quick, uniform white hybrids good for baby and salad turnips.
Shogoin
A Japanese type grown for abundant, mild greens as well as a white root.
Seven Top
A greens-only turnip grown for the leaves, with no usable root.
Golden Ball (Golden Globe)
An heirloom with sweet, mild yellow flesh.
Scarlet Queen
A red-skinned, white-fleshed round type with a crisp, mild flavor.
White Lady and Just Right
Smooth white hybrids, dual-purpose for roots and greens.
Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp
Not good for more than a few days. Left out, turnip roots go soft and the leaves wilt fast. Cut the tops off, keep out only what you will eat soon, and refrigerate the rest.Poor for more than a few days. At room temperature turnip roots lose moisture and soften quickly, and the greens wilt within a day; cut the tops from the roots and refrigerate both. Counter storage is only for what you will use within a couple of days.
Fridge
This is the best way for everyday storage. First cut off the leafy tops, because the leaves draw water out of the root. Keep the greens in a separate bag and eat them within a few days. Put the unwashed roots in a loosely closed or vented plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where they stay firm for one to several weeks. Little salad turnips do not keep as long as bigger main-crop ones.The best everyday option. Cut off the green tops first, since the leaves pull moisture from the root; store the greens separately in a bag and use them within a few days. Keep the unwashed roots in a perforated or loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where high humidity and cold hold them for one to several weeks. Small salad turnips are most perishable; main-crop roots keep best.
Freezer
You can freeze turnips, but cook them first. Peel, dice, and boil or steam them until just tender, cool, and freeze, or freeze them mashed. The greens freeze like spinach after a quick dip in boiling water. They keep well for about 8 to 12 months.Workable after cooking. Turnip roots are best frozen cooked rather than raw: peel, dice, boil or steam until just tender, cool, and freeze, or freeze as a mash. The greens freeze like spinach after a brief blanch. Quality holds for roughly 8 to 12 months.
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When something goes wrong

Common problems

Turnips flower instead of making rootsPlants bolt (run to seed)
01 of 06
What happened The turnip sent up a tall flower stalk instead of growing a good root. This usually happens with heat and long days, or when young plants get a cold snap followed by the long days of late spring. Once it flowers, the root stays small and tough.The plant sent up a flower stalk instead of sizing a root. Turnip bolting is driven by heat and lengthening days, and by a cold spell on young plants (vernalization) followed by long spring days. Once it bolts, the root stays small, woody, and strong, so spring crops sown too late or carried into early summer heat are most at risk. Next season Plant the spring crop early enough to finish before the summer heat and long days, and rely on the fall crop, which avoids the long days that cause flowering. Do not plant too late in spring, keep the watering steady, and pick bolt-resistant varieties for spring.Sow the spring crop early enough to mature before summer heat and long days, and lean on the fall crop, which dodges the long-day trigger. Avoid sowing too late in spring, keep moisture even, and choose bolt-resistant varieties for spring sowings.
Tough, spongy, strong turnipsWoody, pithy, strong-flavored roots
02 of 06
What happened The turnips came out tough, spongy in the middle, and strong-tasting. This usually comes from growing in heat above about 75°F, leaving them in the ground too long, or letting them get too dry.Roots grew coarse, fibrous, spongy in the center (pithy), and sharp-tasting. The usual causes are maturing in sustained heat above about 75°F, over-maturity from being left in the ground too long, or drought and uneven moisture. Pithiness and strong flavor are the classic signs of turnips grown or held through hot, dry weather. Next season Plan the crop so the turnips finish in cool weather: rely on the fall planting and sow spring crops early. Harvest them at 2 to 3 inches instead of letting them get big, and keep the watering steady. Turnips that finish after a frost are the sweetest.Time the crop so roots mature in cool weather, leaning on the fall crop and sowing spring crops early; harvest at 2 to 3 inches rather than letting roots oversize, and keep moisture even. Frost-finished turnips are the sweetest and mildest.
Lumpy, club-shaped rootsSwollen, clubbed, distorted roots
03 of 06
What happened Instead of clean turnips, the roots came out swollen, lumpy, and club-shaped, and the plants looked stunted and yellow and wilted in the afternoon. This is clubroot, a soil disease of the cabbage family that gets worse in wet, acidic soil and in beds where you grow cabbage-family crops over and over.Instead of clean turnips, the roots are swollen, distorted, and clubbed, with the plants stunted and yellow and wilting by day. This is clubroot, a soilborne disease of the cabbage family favored by wet, poorly drained, acidic soil that builds up where crucifers are grown repeatedly. Next season Keep cabbage-family crops out of that bed for a few years, improve drainage, and add lime to raise the pH toward 7.2 to 7.5, which holds the disease back. Pull and throw away affected plants (do not compost), and do not carry soil from that bed on your tools.Rotate crucifers out of the bed for several years, improve drainage, and lime toward a neutral to slightly alkaline pH of about 7.2 to 7.5, which suppresses the pathogen. Remove and destroy affected plants (do not compost), and avoid moving soil from the infested bed on tools.
Forked or hairy turnipsForked, hairy, or misshapen roots
04 of 06
What happened The turnips came out forked, twisted, hairy, or lumpy because they hit something hard as they grew, like a rock or packed soil, because they were too crowded, or because of fresh manure or too much nitrogen, which makes roots branch and grow hairy.Roots grew forked, twisted, hairy, or lumpy because they met an obstruction, a stone, clod, or compacted layer, because the stand was left unthinned and crowded, or because of fresh manure or excess nitrogen, which causes branching and hairy roots. Next season Loosen the bed and pull out rocks before planting, thin the turnips to 2 to 3 inches so they are not crowded, and skip fresh manure and heavy nitrogen feeding. On rocky or heavy soil, use a raised bed or a deep, loose container.Work the bed loose and remove stones before sowing, thin to 2 to 3 inches so roots are not crowded, and avoid fresh manure and heavy nitrogen. On heavy or rocky ground, use a raised bed or a deep, loose container.
Leaves full of tiny holesLeaves riddled with shot-holes
05 of 06
What happened The leaves are covered in tiny round holes, worst on young spring plants. This is flea beetle damage. If you are growing turnips for greens it spoils the leaves; for the root it mostly just slows down the young plants.The leaves are peppered with tiny round shot-holes, heaviest on young spring seedlings, the work of flea beetles. On a turnip grown for greens this ruins the harvest; on a root crop it mostly slows seedlings, but a heavily fed-on stand sizes up poorly. Next season Cover the seedbed with a row cover when you plant to keep the beetles off, clean up old plant debris where they spend winter, and lean on fall crops, which get hit less. Keep seedlings growing fast with steady water so they outgrow light damage.Cover the seedbed with a floating row cover at sowing to exclude the beetles, clean up debris where they overwinter, and favor fall crops, which face less pressure. Keep seedlings growing fast with even moisture so they outgrow light feeding.
Seeds did not come up wellPoor or patchy germination
06 of 06
What happened Few seedlings came up, or they came up patchy. Turnip seed usually sprouts fast, so most failures come from the soil surface drying out or crusting while sprouting, old seed, planting too deep, or cold soggy soil.Few or uneven seedlings emerged. Turnip seed normally germinates fast, so most failures trace to a seedbed that dried or crusted during the roughly week-long germination, old seed, sowing too deep, or cold wet soil that slows emergence and invites damping-off. Next season Keep the soil surface damp from sowing until the seedlings appear, plant shallow (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) with fresh seed, and wait until the soil warms to at least 40 to 45°F before planting.Keep the surface evenly moist from sowing to emergence, sow shallowly (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) with fresh seed, and wait for the soil to warm to at least 40 to 45°F before sowing.
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The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests
Flea beetles
P · 01
Symptoms Lots of tiny round holes peppering the leaves, like buckshot, worst on young seedlings in spring. The beetles are very small, dark, and shiny, with big back legs, and they hop away like fleas the moment you get close. If you are growing turnips for the greens this really matters, since the chewed leaves are what you eat; for the root, fast-growing plants usually shrug it off, but tiny seedlings can be set back.Tiny, round shot-hole punctures riddling the leaves, the classic flea-beetle signature, heaviest on young spring seedlings and along bed edges. The beetles themselves are minute, shiny black or bronze, with enlarged hind legs, and they spring away like fleas when disturbed. On a turnip grown for greens the damage is more than cosmetic, since riddled leaves are the harvest; on a root crop a vigorous stand outgrows light feeding, but a seedling losing much of its leaf area slows down. Cause Small beetles that spend the winter in leaf litter and weeds and come out in early spring hungry for cabbage-family leaves. Turnips and their relatives (radish, mustard) are among their favorite foods. They do the most damage in spring and early summer and ease off as it gets hotter, so fall turnips usually face fewer of them.Adult flea beetles, chiefly the crucifer flea beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae) and striped flea beetle (Phyllotreta striolata), which overwinter in leaf litter and field edges and emerge in early spring to feed on brassica foliage. Turnip, radish, mustard, and other crucifers are highly preferred hosts. Pressure is heaviest in spring and early summer and tapers as the season warms, which is one reason fall turnip crops face less of it. Organic treatment A healthy, well-watered turnip patch usually grows right through light damage. If the little seedlings are getting hammered, cover the row with a floating row cover (a light fabric) right after planting and tuck in the edges so the beetles cannot get under it. Dusting with kaolin clay helps, and sprays like spinosad or pyrethrin are options if seedlings are losing a lot of leaf. Check in the cool morning, when the beetles are slow.On a vigorous stand a well-watered turnip usually outgrows light feeding. Where pressure is heavy on seedlings, a floating row cover set at sowing and sealed at the edges excludes the beetles entirely, the most reliable home defense. Kaolin clay reduces feeding, and spinosad or pyrethrin products are labeled options if a seedling stand is losing more than roughly a quarter to a third of its leaf area; scout in the cool morning when the beetles are sluggish. Prevention Clear away old plants and weeds at the end of the season so fewer beetles survive the winter nearby. Covering the seedbed with a row cover is the surest fix for early spring turnips. Leaning on fall plantings, which get hit less, and keeping the turnips growing fast with steady water also help.Clean up crop debris and weeds at the end of the season to cut overwintering sites. A row cover over the seedbed is the most reliable defense for early spring sowings. Favoring fall plantings, which see lighter pressure, and keeping the stand growing fast with even moisture both reduce impact.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Garden sanitation

    When the season winds down, clear out the old plants and nearby weeds. The beetles spend the winter hiding in leftover leaf litter and weedy spots, so removing that shelter means fewer of them show up hungry next spring.Adults overwinter in leaf litter and along weedy field edges; removing crop debris and weeds at season's end cuts the overwintering population that emerges onto early spring crucifers.

  2. Timing the planting

    Lean on fall plantings where you can. These beetles do most of their damage in spring and early summer and ease off as the weather heats up, so a fall turnip crop usually faces fewer of them. Whenever you plant, keep the patch growing fast with steady water so it can grow through light chewing.Pressure peaks in spring and early summer and tapers as the season warms, so favoring fall sowings sidesteps the heaviest feeding window. A vigorous, evenly watered stand typically outgrows light feeding in any season; the vulnerable stage is the seedling.

  3. Floating row cover

    For early spring sowings, lay a floating row cover, a light fabric that lets in light and water but keeps insects out, over the bed right at sowing and tuck the edges into the soil. Sealed well, it keeps the beetles off entirely, and it is the surest home defense. This matters most if you are growing turnips for greens, since the chewed leaves are the part you eat.A cover set at sowing and sealed at the edges excludes the beetles outright and is the most reliable home defense for spring seedbeds. It protects the two things at stake: seedlings that lose leaf area slow down, and on a greens crop the riddled foliage is the harvest itself.

  4. Kaolin clay film

    Dusting the plants with kaolin clay, a fine white clay coating, can cut down on the beetles' feeding. It reduces damage rather than wiping the beetles out, so use it alongside the other steps.A kaolin coating reduces feeding pressure on exposed plantings. It is a repellent barrier rather than a knockdown, so treat it as a supplement to exclusion and timing rather than a substitute.

  5. Spinosad

    If seedlings are losing a lot of leaf despite everything else, roughly a quarter to a third of their leaf area, a spinosad spray is a labeled option. Check the plants in the cool of the morning, when the beetles are slow and easier to size up, and follow the label.Spinosad is a labeled option when a seedling stand is losing more than roughly a quarter to a third of its leaf area. Scout in the cool morning while the beetles are sluggish to judge whether that threshold has actually been crossed before spraying.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Cabbage maggot
P · 02
Symptoms The trouble is underground. Small white legless maggots tunnel into the turnip, leaving winding brown trails that spoil the root and let rot set in. Aboveground the plant may look pale, wilted, or stunted. It shows up most in cool, wet springs and in soil full of un-rotted material. A tunneled turnip is ruined, but pulling and tossing it right away gets the maggots out before they become the next generation of flies.The damage is underground: small, white, legless maggots tunnel and score the surface and interior of the root, leaving winding brown trails that ruin the turnip and open the door to rot. Aboveground, infested plants may look off-color, wilted, or stunted. It is most common in cool, wet springs and in soil rich in undecomposed organic matter. A scored root is unsalable but a useful sentinel, since pulling and destroying it removes maggots before they pupate. Cause The maggots (young) of the cabbage maggot fly, a small gray fly. It spends the winter as pupae in the soil, and in spring the females lay tiny white eggs at the base of cabbage-family plants. The eggs hatch in about a week and the maggots burrow into the roots for three to four weeks. It goes after the whole cabbage family, turnips, radishes, cabbage, broccoli, and is worst in cool, damp spring weather.Larvae of the cabbage maggot (Delia radicum), a small gray fly that overwinters as pupae in the soil. In spring the adults emerge and females lay white eggs at the base of crucifer stems and in nearby soil cracks; the eggs hatch within about a week and the maggots feed on roots for three to four weeks before pupating. It attacks the whole cabbage family, including turnip, radish, cabbage, and broccoli, with several generations a year and the worst damage in cool, moist spring weather. Organic treatment You cannot save a turnip that is already tunneled. Pull up and throw away (do not compost) the affected ones so the maggots cannot grow into more flies. There is no good home spray for this, and sprays do nothing once the maggots have already left the root, so prevention is the real fix.There is no rescue for a root already tunneled. Pull and destroy infested turnips (do not compost them) to keep maggots from completing their cycle. Insecticide drenches are difficult and rarely worthwhile in a home garden, and are pointless once the maggots have left the root to pupate, so the lever is prevention. Prevention The best home defense is a row cover laid over the bed right after sowing and tucked in at the edges, so the flies cannot reach the plants to lay eggs, just make sure the soil is not already carrying them from an earlier crop. Move turnips away from spots that grew cabbage-family crops recently, avoid fresh manure, and lean toward fall planting, which usually has fewer maggots than cool wet spring.A floating row cover sealed at the edges at sowing is the most effective home defense, since it blocks the egg-laying flies; be sure no flies are already in the soil from a previous crop. Rotate turnips and other crucifers away from beds that grew them recently, avoid fresh manure and freshly turned-under residue that attract the flies, and favor fall plantings, which see less pressure than cool wet spring.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Crop rotation

    Plant turnips away from spots that grew cabbage-family crops recently. The fly's pupae, its resting stage, wait in the soil where those crops were, so moving the bed keeps the new crop away from them.The insect overwinters as pupae in soil that carried crucifers, so rotating turnips and their relatives away from recent brassica ground reduces the carryover population emerging under the new planting.

  2. Timing the planting

    Favor fall plantings where you can. This pest is at its worst in cool, damp spring weather, and fall crops usually see fewer maggots.Damage concentrates in cool, moist spring conditions, so shifting the crop to a fall sowing puts it outside the period of heaviest pressure.

  3. Garden sanitation

    A turnip that is already tunneled cannot be fixed, but do not just leave it. Pull it and throw it away, not in the compost, so the maggots inside never get the chance to turn into the next round of flies. Think of a ruined root as an early warning that tells you to protect the rest.There is no rescue for a scored root, but pulling and destroying infested turnips before the larvae pupate removes them from the cycle; do not compost them. A tunneled root is unsalable but useful as a sentinel that the bed is carrying the pest.

  4. Floating row cover

    The best home defense is a floating row cover, a light fabric sheet, laid over the bed right after sowing with the edges tucked in, so the flies can never reach the plants to lay their eggs. One catch: make sure the soil is not already carrying flies from an earlier cabbage-family crop, or you seal them in with your turnips.A cover sealed at the edges at sowing blocks the egg-laying flies and is the most effective home defense. It only works over clean ground; confirm no flies are carrying over in the soil from a previous crucifer crop, or the cover traps them with the plants.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Aphids
P · 03
Symptoms Little soft insects, often gray-green and sometimes dusty-looking, gather in clusters on the undersides of leaves and on new growth. Leaves curl and yellow and turn sticky from the sugary honeydew the aphids leave behind, which can grow a black sooty mold. On turnips these are usually the turnip aphid and cabbage aphid. They can also spread plant viruses, so knock them back early, especially if you are eating the greens.Clusters of small, soft-bodied insects, often grayish-green and sometimes coated with a waxy bloom, collect on the undersides of leaves and on new growth, leaving leaves curled, yellowed, and sticky with honeydew that can blacken with sooty mold. On turnips the culprits are typically the turnip aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) and the cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae). Beyond direct feeding they can transmit virus, so colonies on the greens are worth removing early. Cause Sap-sucking turnip and cabbage aphids that feed only on cabbage-family plants. They multiply fast in mild weather, especially on soft, over-fertilized growth, and fly in from weeds and other cabbage-family crops. They can be a real pest on fall turnip greens.The turnip aphid and cabbage aphid, sap-feeding insects specific to the cabbage family. Populations build fastest in mild weather and on lush, over-fertilized growth, and winged forms move them in from cruciferous weeds and other brassica crops. They can be a particular nuisance on fall greens crops. Organic treatment Spray the colonies off with a strong stream of water, which often does the trick. Ladybugs and other helpers usually take care of the rest; if not, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on the undersides of the leaves works well. Do not over-feed with nitrogen, which just grows more aphids.A strong jet of water knocks colonies off the leaves and is often enough in a home garden. Natural enemies (ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps) usually bring numbers down; where needed, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil sprayed on the undersides of leaves is effective, taking care to reach the protected cabbage-aphid colonies. Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, which fuels buildup. Prevention Let helpful bugs like ladybugs live in your garden by not spraying broadly, go easy on nitrogen fertilizer, and pull cabbage-family weeds nearby. Check the undersides of leaves now and then so you catch aphids while there are only a few, and clean up old plants at the end of the season.Encourage beneficial insects by avoiding broad-spectrum sprays, keep plants from being pushed with excess nitrogen, and control nearby cruciferous weeds that host the aphids. Inspect new growth and the undersides of leaves so colonies are caught small, and clear crop debris at season end.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Go easy on nitrogen fertilizer. Over-fed plants push out soft, lush growth, and that is exactly what these aphids multiply on fastest.Populations build quickest on lush, over-fertilized growth, so a restrained nitrogen program removes the flush that fuels colony buildup without starving the crop.

  2. Clearing the weeds that host it

    Pull up cabbage-family weeds growing near the bed. The turnip and cabbage aphids feed only on this plant family, and winged ones fly in from those weeds to start new colonies.Both the turnip aphid and cabbage aphid are crucifer specialists, and winged forms colonize from cruciferous weeds and neighboring brassica crops; controlling those weed hosts removes a standing source of reinfestation.

  3. Garden sanitation

    Check the undersides of the leaves and the new growth now and then so you catch colonies while they are still small, and clear away the old plants at the end of the season. Catching them early matters more here because they can also spread plant viruses, especially if you are eating the greens.Inspect new growth and leaf undersides so colonies are caught small, and clear crop debris at season's end. Early removal earns extra weight on this crop because the aphids can transmit virus, and fall greens crops are where they tend to be most troublesome.

  4. Water spray

    Blast the clusters off with a strong jet of water from the hose. In a home garden that is often all it takes.A forceful water jet dislodges colonies from the foliage and is often sufficient at garden scale; it is a purely physical knockdown that leaves the natural-enemy complex intact.

  5. Beneficial predators

    Let the helpful insects do their share. Ladybugs, lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps usually bring aphid numbers down on their own, so avoid broad sprays that would kill these helpers along with the pests.Ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps usually regulate these colonies if conserved; avoiding broad-spectrum sprays is what keeps that service running, since removing the enemies is how a minor aphid problem becomes a persistent one.

  6. Insecticidal soap

    If the softer steps are not holding, spray insecticidal soap on the undersides of the leaves where the aphids cluster. Take extra care to soak the dusty-looking cabbage aphid colonies, whose waxy coating shelters them, since the spray only works where it touches.Soap applied to the leaf undersides is effective when knockdown and predators have not held. Coverage is the whole game: the cabbage aphid's waxy bloom protects its colonies, so spray deliberately into them rather than misting the plant in general.

  7. Horticultural oil

    Horticultural oil, a light spray oil, is the other option for coating the colonies. Aim for the undersides of the leaves and the protected clusters, the same as with soap, and avoid spraying in high heat.Horticultural oil is the alternative contact spray, applied to the same targets: leaf undersides and the wax-protected cabbage aphid colonies. Whichever contact material you choose, thoroughness of coverage decides the result.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Harlequin bug
P · 04
Symptoms Showy black-and-orange (or black-and-red) shield-shaped bugs on the leaves, leaving pale, blotchy, stippled spots where they have sucked the juices out. A lot of them can yellow and kill leaves and even kill small plants. It is mainly a warm-weather pest, worst on fall and winter turnips and greens in the South.Striking black-and-orange (or black-and-red) shield-shaped stink bugs feeding on the foliage, leaving pale, blotchy, stippled or wilted patches where they have sucked sap; heavy feeding can yellow and kill leaves and stunt or kill young plants. It is chiefly a warm-region pest, most damaging on fall and overwintering brassicas in the South, and it readily attacks turnip and its greens. Cause The harlequin bug, a stink bug that feeds almost only on cabbage-family plants. The adults spend winter in garden trash in warm areas and get active as it warms up, with several generations a year. Look for its odd barrel-shaped, striped eggs lined up in two neat rows under the leaves.The harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica), a stink bug that feeds almost exclusively on cabbage-family plants. Adults overwinter in garden debris in warmer regions and become active as the weather warms, with several generations a year; the barrel-shaped, black-and-white striped eggs are laid in neat double rows on the undersides of leaves. Organic treatment Pick off the adults, the young, and the striped egg rows by hand and drop them in soapy water, which works well if you start early. Pull and destroy badly infested plants and clean up cabbage-family debris. Insecticidal soap helps on the young bugs, and a patch of mustard planted as bait can draw them together so they are easy to remove.Handpick adults, nymphs, and the distinctive egg rows into soapy water, which is effective in a home garden caught early. Remove and destroy heavily infested plants and brassica debris that harbor them. Insecticidal soap helps on nymphs; a trap crop of mustard or another preferred crucifer can concentrate the bugs for removal. Prevention Clean up old cabbage-family plants and weeds at the end of the season, which is the biggest help since that is where the bugs spend winter. Rotate where you plant brassicas, check under the leaves for the striped eggs, and plant a little mustard as bait if the bug keeps coming back.Clear cabbage-family crop debris and weeds at season end to remove overwintering sites, the single most useful step. Rotate brassicas, scout the undersides of leaves for the egg rows, and use a trap crop where the bug is a recurring problem.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Garden sanitation

    Clean up old cabbage-family plants and weeds at the end of the season. That is the single biggest help, because the adults spend the winter in exactly that kind of garden trash. During the season, pull and destroy any plant that is badly overrun rather than trying to save it.Adults overwinter in garden debris in warmer regions, so clearing brassica debris and weeds at season's end removes the overwintering sites and is the single most useful step. Removing and destroying heavily infested plants during the season is part of the same discipline.

  2. Crop rotation

    Change where you plant your cabbage-family crops from year to year rather than using the same bed every time.Rotate brassica plantings so the bugs emerging from last year's site do not find this year's crop waiting in the same spot.

  3. Trap cropping

    Where this bug comes back year after year, sow a patch of mustard or another cabbage-family plant it prefers, and let the bugs gather on it so you can take them out together. This crop's guidance treats the patch as a way to concentrate them for removal, so plan on pulling it rather than keeping it, and see this method's cautions for when.A mustard stand, or another preferred crucifer, concentrates the bugs where they can be taken out in one pass, which is how this crop's guidance frames it: a tactic for a recurring problem rather than a routine step. Removal is the payoff, and this method's cautions set when it has to happen.

  4. Handpicking

    Check the plants and pick off the showy black-and-orange bugs and their young, and look under the leaves for the odd barrel-shaped eggs laid in two neat striped rows. Drop everything into soapy water. Started early, this works well in a home garden.Handpicking adults, nymphs, and the distinctive double rows of barrel-shaped eggs into soapy water is effective at garden scale when started early; scouting the leaf undersides for the egg rows is what makes the pass thorough.

  5. Insecticidal soap

    Insecticidal soap can help against the young bugs, called nymphs, which are softer than the shield-backed adults. It only works on the ones it actually wets, so spray the insects directly.Soap helps on nymphs, the soft-bodied stage; expect much less from it against the armored adults. It is strictly a contact material, so direct the spray onto the insects rather than the foliage.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Diseases
Clubroot
D · 01
Symptoms Aboveground the plant looks stunted and yellow and wilts in the afternoon sun, then perks up at night. Underground is the giveaway: instead of a clean turnip, the roots swell into lumpy, club-shaped galls that eventually rot. It lives in the soil and builds up when you grow cabbage-family crops in the same spot over and over, especially in wet, acidic soil.Aboveground, plants are stunted and yellowish and wilt in the heat of the day even in moist soil, recovering overnight. The diagnostic sign is below ground: the roots are swollen, distorted, and clubbed into gnarled, spindle-shaped galls rather than forming a clean turnip, and they later rot. It is a soilborne disease that builds up where crucifers are grown repeatedly and is favored by wet, poorly drained, acidic soil. Cause A soil organism (Plasmodiophora brassicae) that attacks the roots of cabbage-family plants and survives in the soil for years. Wet, poorly drained, acidic soil makes it worse, and it spreads on dirty tools and on soil moved from an infected bed.Plasmodiophora brassicae, a soilborne pathogen that infects the roots of cabbage-family plants and persists in soil as resting spores for many years. Wet, poorly drained, acidic soils favor infection, and the disease spreads on contaminated soil, tools, and transplants. Organic treatment There is no way to cure a plant that has it, so pull and throw away (do not compost) the affected ones. The fix is for next time: improve drainage, add lime to raise the soil pH toward 7.2 to 7.5, which holds the disease back, and keep cabbage-family crops out of that spot for a few years.There is no cure once a plant is infected; remove and destroy affected plants and do not compost them. Management is preventive across seasons: improve drainage and lime the soil toward a neutral to slightly alkaline pH of about 7.2 to 7.5, which suppresses the pathogen, and rotate crucifers out of the bed for several years. Prevention Do not grow turnips or other cabbage-family crops in the same bed year after year; move them on a multi-year cycle. Keep the soil well drained and add lime to raise the pH toward neutral, and avoid carrying soil from an infected bed on your tools. A raised bed with clean soil avoids it where it is a known problem.Rotate turnips and other crucifers on a multi-year cycle (a long rotation of several years is advised where it is established), since the pathogen builds in soil grown to the family. Keep soil well drained and limed toward a neutral to slightly alkaline pH, start with clean soil and tools, and avoid moving soil from an infested bed. Raised beds with clean mix sidestep the problem where it is entrenched.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Crop rotation

    Do not grow turnips or their cabbage-family relatives in the same bed year after year. This organism survives in the soil for years, so where it has shown up, keep the whole family out of that spot on a multi-year cycle.The pathogen persists in soil as resting spores for many years and builds wherever crucifers are grown repeatedly, so rotate the family out of an affected bed on a multi-year cycle; where the disease is established, a long rotation of several years is advised.

  2. Raise soil pH (liming)

    Add lime to raise the soil pH, a measure of how acidic the soil is, toward 7.2 to 7.5, which is neutral to slightly alkaline. Acidic soil favors this disease, and liming to that range holds it back. Save this treatment for the affected bed rather than liming the whole garden.Liming toward a pH of about 7.2 to 7.5 suppresses the pathogen, which is favored by acidic soil. Confine the treatment to the affected ground; most vegetables prefer soil closer to neutral-acidic, so this is a targeted clubroot measure, not general practice.

  3. Improve drainage

    Fix wet spots before planting. This disease is worst in soil that stays wet and drains poorly, so better drainage takes away the conditions it likes.Wet, poorly drained soil favors infection, so improving drainage in the bed removes one of the two soil conditions, alongside acidity, that drive the disease.

  4. Garden sanitation

    There is no cure once a plant has it, so pull the stunted, clubbed-root plants and throw them away, never in the compost. Clean the soil off your tools afterward, since the disease travels on dirt carried from an infected bed.Infected plants cannot be cured; remove and destroy them without composting. The pathogen also moves on contaminated soil, tools, and transplants, so clean equipment after working an infested bed and avoid transferring its soil elsewhere.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

White rust
D · 02
Symptoms Raised white or cream blister-like spots on the undersides of the leaves, with a faint yellow patch on the top of the leaf opposite each blister. A bad case can twist the leaves. It mostly affects the leaves, so it matters most when you are growing turnips for greens, and it likes cool, damp weather.Raised, white to cream, blister-like pustules form on the undersides of leaves, with a faint yellow spot on the upper surface opposite each lesion. Heavy infection can distort leaves and, less commonly, the growing point. It is chiefly a foliar disease, most damaging on turnips grown for greens, and is favored by cool, moist weather. Cause A fungus-like water mold (Albugo candida) that lives on cabbage-family plants, survives on old plant debris, and spreads in cool, wet weather by spores carried on wind and splashing water. There is no home spray for it, so the fix is in how you grow the crop.Albugo candida, a water mold (formerly classed as a fungus) specific to crucifers that survives as thick-walled resting spores on crop debris and in soil and spreads by airborne and splash-borne spores in cool, wet conditions. No fungicides are registered for it in the home garden, so control is cultural. Organic treatment There is no spray for the home garden, so pick off and throw away infected leaves and the worst plants, and help the plants dry out by giving them room. Water at the soil instead of overhead, and clear away cabbage-family weeds and old debris that carry it.There is no home chemical control; remove and destroy infected leaves and badly affected plants to reduce spread, and improve airflow and drying. Cultural control carries the load: water at the base, space for airflow, and clear cruciferous weeds and debris that carry it. Prevention Do not grow cabbage-family crops in the same spot repeatedly, clear away old plant debris and weeds, and water at the base instead of overhead. Give plants room so the leaves dry fast, and choose a tolerant variety if it keeps coming back.Rotate crucifers, clear and destroy crop debris and cruciferous weeds that harbor the spores, and avoid overhead watering. Space and thin for airflow so foliage dries quickly, and use tolerant varieties where the disease recurs.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Resistant varieties

    If white rust keeps coming back in your garden, choose a tolerant variety at seed-buying time, one bred to hold up better against the disease.Where the disease recurs, tolerant varieties are the seed-time defense; on a crop grown for greens, foliage that stays cleaner is the harvest protected.

  2. Crop rotation

    Move your cabbage-family plantings around instead of using the same spot repeatedly, since the disease carries over where those crops have grown.The pathogen survives as thick-walled resting spores on crop debris and in soil, so rotating crucifers out of the bed breaks the carryover between plantings.

  3. Clearing the weeds that host it

    Clear away wild mustard and other cabbage-family weeds near the bed. This disease lives only on that plant family, and those weeds keep it going between your crops.The water mold is specific to crucifers, and cruciferous weeds carry it near the crop; clearing them removes a standing reservoir the rotation alone does not touch.

  4. Airflow and spacing

    Give the plants room, and thin crowded rows, so air moves through and the leaves dry quickly. Cool, damp conditions are what this disease needs.Space and thin for airflow so foliage dries fast; the disease is favored by cool, moist conditions, and drying time is the lever spacing controls.

  5. Water at the base

    Water at the soil instead of over the leaves. The spores spread in splashing water, so keeping the foliage dry slows it down.Spores spread by splash as well as air, so basal irrigation instead of overhead watering removes the splash route and shortens leaf wetness.

  6. Garden sanitation

    Pick off infected leaves, and pull the worst plants, and throw them away to slow the spread. Clear old plant debris too, since the disease survives on it. There is no spray for this in a home garden, so these habits are the whole fix.Remove and destroy infected leaves and badly affected plants to reduce spread, and clear the crop debris that carries the resting spores between seasons. No fungicides are registered for home-garden use against it, so the cultural steps carry the entire load.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Downy mildew
D · 03
Symptoms Pale green to yellow angular patches on top of the leaves, with a grayish or white fuzzy growth underneath in damp weather; the spots later turn tan and papery. It mainly hurts the leaves and is worst in cool, wet weather, like a rainy fall, which is also when turnip greens are growing.Small, angular, pale green to yellow lesions on the upper leaf surface, bounded by the veins, with a grayish to white downy growth of spores on the corresponding undersides in damp weather. Affected areas later turn tan and papery. It chiefly disfigures the foliage and is most damaging in cool, moist conditions such as a wet fall. Cause A fungus-like water mold (Peronospora parasitica) that infects cabbage-family plants in cool, wet weather, best around 50 to 60°F. It survives on old plant debris and spreads in damp air and splashing water.Peronospora parasitica (also called Hyaloperonospora parasitica), a water mold that infects crucifers in cool, moist conditions, with infection favored around 50 to 60°F. It survives on crop debris and related hosts and spreads in moist air and splashing water. Organic treatment You cannot cure infected leaves, so pick off and throw away the worst ones and help the plants dry out by giving them room. Keeping the leaves dry does most of the work; a copper fungicide is a last resort in a very wet stretch.There is no cure for infected tissue; remove and destroy affected leaves to reduce spread, and improve airflow and drying. Cultural control is the mainstay for a home crop, with copper fungicides a last resort in a persistently wet season. Prevention Water at the soil instead of overhead, give plants room so air moves through, and stay out of the bed when the leaves are wet. Move turnips away from where you grew cabbage-family crops, clean up old debris, and pick a tolerant variety if it keeps showing up.Water at the base rather than overhead, space and thin for airflow, and avoid working among wet plants. Rotate away from crucifers, clear crop debris, and where it recurs choose tolerant varieties.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Crop rotation

    Plant turnips away from where cabbage-family crops grew recently. The disease survives on old plant debris and on related plants, so moving the crop helps break the cycle.The pathogen survives on crop debris and related crucifer hosts, so rotating away from recent brassica ground reduces the inoculum waiting under the new planting.

  2. Resistant varieties

    If downy mildew shows up year after year, pick a tolerant variety when you buy seed.Where the disease recurs, tolerant varieties chosen at seed time reduce the pressure the in-season steps have to carry, which matters most on a fall greens crop growing through its favored cool, wet weather.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Space the plants out, and thin crowded spots, so air can move through and dry the leaves. This disease thrives in cool, damp conditions, which is also rainy fall weather, right when turnip greens are growing.Space and thin for airflow so foliage dries quickly. Infection is favored in cool, moist conditions around 50 to 60°F, which lines up with the fall greens season, so drying time is worth real attention.

  4. Water at the base

    Water at the soil rather than sprinkling over the leaves. The disease spreads in damp air and splashing water, so dry leaves are your friend.The pathogen spreads in moist air and splashing water, so basal irrigation removes the splash route and keeps the leaf-wetness periods that drive infection as short as possible.

  5. Staying out of wet foliage

    Stay out of the bed while the leaves are wet from rain, dew, or watering. Brushing through wet plants helps carry the disease from leaf to leaf.Avoid working among wet plants; movement through wet foliage spreads the pathogen. This governs when you enter the bed and still applies after rain or dew, which no irrigation choice controls.

  6. Garden sanitation

    Infected leaves cannot be cured, so pick off and throw away the worst ones to slow the spread, and clear old plant debris between seasons since the disease carries over on it.There is no cure for infected tissue; removing and destroying affected leaves reduces spread, and clearing crop debris removes the material the pathogen survives on between crops.

  7. Copper fungicide

    In a stretch of weather that stays wet for weeks, a copper fungicide is a last resort if the steps above are not holding. It works by protecting leaves before the disease lands on them, so it earns little once the disease is everywhere. Keep the spray away from ponds and drains, since copper is harmful to fish, and follow the label.Copper is the last resort for a persistently wet season when cultural control is not holding. It is protectant in action, so it belongs early in an outbreak rather than after spread. Copper is highly toxic to aquatic life and accumulates in surface soil with repeat use, so keep it away from water, limit how often you rely on it across seasons, and follow the label rate to avoid foliage injury.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Alternaria leaf spot
D · 04
Symptoms Small, round, dark spots on the leaves, each with a yellow ring around it and faint target-like circles inside, that grow and run together in wet weather and turn sooty in the center. It mostly affects the leaves, so it matters most for turnip greens, and a bad case can slow the plant down.Small, circular, dark spots on the leaves, each with a yellow halo and characteristic concentric rings, that darken to a sooty center as spores build up and enlarge and merge in wet weather. It is primarily a foliar disease, most important on turnips grown for greens, and severe infection can reduce vigor and quality. Cause Alternaria fungi that can travel on seed and survive on old plant debris, spreading in splashing water and needing wet leaves to take hold. Warm, humid weather with wet foliage brings it on.Alternaria fungi (chiefly Alternaria brassicae), which are seedborne and survive on crop debris, spreading in splashing water and needing leaf wetness to infect. Warm, wet weather and prolonged wet foliage drive it. Organic treatment Pick off the worst leaves, water at the soil in the morning so leaves dry quickly, and clean up debris. Using clean seed and giving plants room for airflow handle most of it; a copper fungicide can help in a very wet spell if you start early.Remove badly spotted leaves, water at the base in the morning so foliage dries, and clear debris. Clean seed and airflow are the main home levers; a copper fungicide can help in a persistently wet season if started early. Prevention Use clean seed, water at the base instead of overhead, give plants room so the leaves dry, and clear away old plant material between plantings.Use clean seed, avoid overhead watering, space for airflow, and rotate crucifers and clear debris that carry the fungi between seasons.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clean planting stock

    Start with clean seed from a trusted supplier. These fungi can travel on the seed itself, so a clean packet keeps the disease from arriving with the crop.The Alternaria fungi are seedborne, so clean seed is the first control and one of the main home levers; it is set once, at purchase, before anything else matters.

  2. Crop rotation

    Move turnips and their cabbage-family relatives to a different spot between plantings, since the fungi carry over where those crops grew.The fungi survive on crop debris between seasons, so rotating crucifers out of the bed separates the new crop from the carryover inoculum.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Give the plants room so air moves through and the leaves dry quickly. The spots need wet leaves to take hold, so drying time is most of the battle.Infection requires leaf wetness, so spacing for airflow shortens the wet periods that let spots establish, enlarge, and merge. Alongside clean seed, this is a main home lever.

  4. Water at the base

    Water at the soil, in the morning, so any splash dries off fast. The disease spreads in splashing water and needs wet leaves to grow.The fungi spread in splashing water and infect only through wet foliage, so basal morning irrigation removes the splash route and gives leaves the day to dry.

  5. Garden sanitation

    Pick off the worst-spotted leaves as you see them, and clear away old plant material between plantings, since that debris is where the fungi wait for the next crop.Remove badly spotted leaves during the season and clear crop debris between plantings; debris is where the fungi persist, and on a greens crop the spotted foliage is quality lost directly.

  6. Copper fungicide

    In a very wet spell, a copper fungicide can help if you start early, before the spots are widespread. Keep it away from ponds and drains, since copper harms fish, and follow the label.Copper can help in a persistently wet season if started early; as a protectant it offers little once lesions are merging. Copper is highly toxic to aquatic life and builds up in soil with repeated use, so keep it out of waterways, limit reliance on it across seasons, and follow the label rate.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Black rot
D · 05
Symptoms Yellow, V-shaped patches creeping in from the edges of the leaves, with the point of the V aimed at the center vein, and the veins in those patches turning black. The leaves yellow and die, and a bad case can rot the plant. It is a bacterial disease that hits the whole cabbage family in warm, wet weather.Yellow, V-shaped lesions advancing inward from the leaf margins, with the V pointing toward the midrib and the veins in the affected area turning black. Infected leaves yellow and die, and severe infection can rot the plant and move into the root. It is a bacterial disease of the whole cabbage family, spread in warm, wet conditions. Cause A bacterium (Xanthomonas campestris) that can travel on seed and splashing water and gets into the leaves through their edges and any wounds. Warm, humid, wet weather brings it on, and it spreads on infected seed, water, tools, and old plant debris among cabbage-family plants.Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, a seedborne and splash-spread bacterium that enters through leaf margins (water pores) and wounds. It is favored by warm, humid, wet conditions and spreads on contaminated seed, water, tools, and crop debris across cabbage-family crops. Organic treatment You cannot cure leaves that are already infected. Pull and throw away affected plants, stay out of the bed when the leaves are wet, and clean up old plant material. Clean seed and rotating where you plant cabbage-family crops handle most of it.There is no cure for infected tissue. Remove and destroy affected plants, avoid working among plants when the foliage is wet, and clear crop debris. Starting with clean seed and rotating crucifers do most of the work in a home garden. Prevention Use clean, disease-free seed, do not grow cabbage-family crops in the same spot repeatedly, and clear away old plant debris. Water at the soil instead of overhead, do not handle wet plants, and give them room so the leaves dry fast.Start with clean, disease-free seed, rotate crucifers out of the bed for at least a year or more, and clear debris that harbors the bacterium. Water at the base rather than overhead, avoid handling wet plants, and space for airflow so foliage dries quickly.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clean planting stock

    Start with clean, disease-free seed. This bacterium can ride in on the seed itself, and along with rotation it does most of the work of keeping the disease out of a home garden.The bacterium is seedborne, so clean, disease-free seed is the foundational control; together with rotation it carries most of the home-garden defense.

  2. Crop rotation

    Keep cabbage-family crops out of the affected spot for at least a year or more. The disease hits the whole family and waits in the bed between crops.Rotate crucifers out of the bed for at least a year or more; the bacterium attacks the whole cabbage family and persists locally in debris, so the entire family counts in the rotation.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Space the plants so air moves through and the leaves dry quickly. Warm, humid, wet conditions are what this disease needs to spread.The disease is favored by warm, humid, wet conditions, so spacing for airflow shortens the leaf-wetness periods that let it advance.

  4. Water at the base

    Water at the soil instead of over the leaves. The bacterium travels in splashing water and slips into leaves through their edges and any wounds.The pathogen spreads by splash and enters through the leaf-margin water pores and wounds, so basal irrigation removes the dispersal route overhead watering provides.

  5. Staying out of wet foliage

    Stay out of the bed while the plants are wet, and do not handle wet leaves. Working among wet plants helps spread the bacterium from one to the next.Avoid working among or handling wet plants; the bacterium moves readily on wet foliage and tools, so choosing when you enter the bed limits plant-to-plant spread.

  6. Garden sanitation

    Leaves that already show the yellow V-shaped patches cannot be cured, so pull affected plants and throw them away, and clean up old plant material, which shelters the bacterium between crops.There is no cure for infected tissue; remove and destroy affected plants and clear the crop debris that harbors the bacterium. It also moves on contaminated water and tools, which is one more reason roguing beats leaving a sick plant standing.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 9 sources View
Seasoned
Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Move your turnips to a different spot each year, and do not put them, or their relatives like cabbage, broccoli, radish, and kale, back in the same bed for several years (Minnesota says about four). This keeps the cabbage maggot, flea beetle, and clubroot disease from piling up. Turnips do well following beans or peas, which add nitrogen, but not right after a bed that got heavy manure, since leftover nitrogen grows leaves instead of roots.Rotate turnips on a multi-year cycle, keeping them and all other cabbage-family crops out of a bed for several seasons after they are grown there; Minnesota recommends a four-year gap, and a longer one where clubroot is present. This breaks the buildup of the soilborne clubroot pathogen and the root pests the family shares. Following a legume that has added nitrogen, or another nitrogen-depleting crop, suits turnips well; avoid following a heavily manured crop, whose residual nitrogen pushes tops over roots and branches them.

Family
Brassicaceae
Years between
3 years
in the same bed
Avoid following
Do not grow turnips where you grew turnips, radish, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, or mustard in recent years. These are all in the same cabbage family and share the same soil pests (cabbage maggot, flea beetle) and a root disease called clubroot, which build up over time. Minnesota suggests waiting four years before any of them go back in the same bed, and longer where clubroot is a known problem. Also avoid beds that got a lot of manure for the last crop, since the extra nitrogen grows leafy tops and makes the roots branch.Do not plant turnips where another cabbage-family crop (Brassicaceae) grew the previous seasons, including turnip, rutabaga, radish, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and mustard, since they share soilborne clubroot and root pests (cabbage maggot, flea beetle) that build up where the family is grown repeatedly. University of Minnesota advises against following any of these crops for the past four years, and longer rotations are recommended where clubroot is established. Avoid beds heavily manured for the previous crop, because the readily available nitrogen drives leafy top growth and branches the roots.
Plant after
Legumes such as beans and peas that have added nitrogenFruiting crops such as tomatoes and squashAlliums such as onions and garlic
Verified · 2 sources View
In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your turnip season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 9.

p
plant
3 weeks before last frost
Time to plant turnips Time to sow turnips
Plant turnip seeds right in the garden about 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost, once the ground is no longer frozen or soggy. Plant them 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and a bit thick, and plan to thin. The fall crop, planted in late summer, is often the best one. Direct-sow turnips about 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost, once the soil is workable and at least 40 to 45°F. Sow 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, a little thick, and plan to thin. The fall crop, sown in late summer, is often the better one.
p
plant
3 weeks after planting date
Time to thin your turnips Time to thin your turnips
Once the seedlings are 2 to 4 inches tall, thin them to 2 to 3 inches apart, snipping the extras at the soil line. Eat the thinnings as baby greens. Crowded turnips stay small. Once seedlings stand 2 to 4 inches, thin to a final 2 to 3 inches apart, snipping at the soil line. The thinnings are edible baby greens. Crowded turnips stay small and misshapen.
p
plant
10 days after planting date
Check turnip seedlings for flea beetles Watch young turnips for flea beetles
Flea beetles make tiny round holes in young turnip leaves and are worst on spring seedlings. A row cover laid over the bed is the best fix; healthy, fast-growing plants usually outgrow light damage. Flea beetles pepper young turnip leaves with tiny shot-holes and hit seedlings hardest in spring. A floating row cover at sowing is the best defense; a vigorous stand outgrows light feeding.
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Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research
Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair
Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support
Last reviewed
May 12, 2026
Data version
crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9
Sources cited on this page
16 publications
Verified entries
Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions
See all sources cited on this page
  • University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
  • University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
  • Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
  • Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
  • NC State Extension ncsu_ext
  • Penn State Extension psu_ext
  • U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
  • UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
  • Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
  • UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
  • Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
  • UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
  • NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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Vol. 003 · Turnip · plant.lifestyle