Turnip plant profile
Brassica rapa var. rapa
An annual vegetable for full sun.
Last updated .
When to plant
When to plant Turnip
Turnips are a cool-season root, direct sown. Sow in early spring for a summer crop and again in late summer for a fall crop, which often has the best flavor; they grow well from spring through late summer (UMN, Cornell).
The calendar shows this cited seasonal window as an approximate band. It does not convert the season into frost-adjusted dates.
Open Turnip in my garden calendarShows the source-backed planting season, not frost-adjusted dates.
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- 1 in / week
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Spacing
- 3 to 6 in apart, rows 18 in
- Days to maturity
- 30 to 60 days (from sowing)
Common problems
Watch for these
Evidence trail
Evidence behind this profile
Original extension and institutional publications behind the planting, care, and safety facts on this page.
- Growing turnips and rutabagas in home gardens
University of Minnesota Extension. Supports general reference. Checked 2026-06-11.
- Vegetable Growing Guides: Turnips
Cornell University Home Gardening. Supports general reference. Checked 2026-06-11.