Crop guide
Growing turnips
Growing turnips means matching type, timing, and spacing on the cited sheets. There is no single national planting date.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Know the type on the cited sheet. Cool-season notes stay source-specific.
- 02Plant on the cited sheet’s timing. Regional dates stay on their own cards.
- 03Use in-row depth and spacing from one cited source.
- 04Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Illustrative photograph — types, timing, and spacing stay on the cited sheets.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeWhen to plantCareWhen to harvestGarden pests
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1324 (South Carolina)
Brassica rapa. Leaves and roots. Some types foliage-only. Late winter/early spring or late summer. Rows 14–18 in. Seed ¼–½ in. Plants 2–3 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Clemson HGIC 1324 (South Carolina): turnips (Brassica rapa) have leaves and roots. Some types are grown for the foliage only and do not produce the swollen root. Type notes — not a mill. Rutabaga (Brassica napus) is a cited exclusion — not a rutabaga page.
Timing
Clemson HGIC 1324 (South Carolina): plant in late winter/early spring for a spring crop or in the late summer for a fall/winter crop. Timing on their sheet — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Clemson HGIC 1324 (South Carolina): plant in rows 14 to 18 inches apart. Seed ¼ to ½ inch deep. Space plants 2 to 3 inches apart in the row. Alternately, seeds may be broadcast and lightly raked in.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1324. Rows and seed depth stay Clemson. Not fertilizer.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Biennial treated as an annual. Hardy (heavy frost, attributed). Early spring and late summer. 4 in in-row. Certain types greens and roots.
Details and limits (5)
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): biennial treated as an annual. Turnip is hardy (can withstand heavy frosts in spring and fall, attributed). Type notes — not a mill. Maryland’s attributed frost wording — not a planting-safety promise.
Timing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): in spring, plant seeds as soon as soil can be worked (3 to 4 weeks prior to frost date). Or start seeds indoors and plant 3- to 5-week-old transplants. Plant twice, in early spring and then late summer. Maryland timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): turnip is spaced 4 inches apart in the row.
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): certain types can be grown to produce both greens and roots. Type notes — not a mill.
Limit
Maryland leafy-greens sheet. 4 in in-row stays Maryland. Not a ZIP calendar.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
Brassica rapa. April 15 spring. August 1 fall. Seed 1–2 in. Rows 18–30 in. Thin 3–6 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
UMN Extension (Minnesota): turnips are a form of Brassica rapa. Type note — not a cultivar mill.
Timing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): plant turnips beginning April 15 for a spring crop, and again August 1 for a fall crop. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): plant seeds one to two inches apart in rows 18 to 30 inches apart. Thin turnip seedlings leaving three to six inches between plants.
Limit
Minnesota turnips-and-rutabagas sheet. Thin 3–6 in stays Minnesota. Not fertilizer.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Roots or greens. As early in spring as possible. Late summer or fall. ½ in deep. Thin 2–4 in at 4 in tall.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Illinois Extension (Illinois): turnips may be planted for roots or greens. Type notes — not a mill. Rutabaga is a cited exclusion — not a rutabaga page.
Timing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): for summer use, plant as early in the spring as possible. Also late summer or fall. Illinois timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): plant seeds ½ inch deep (3 to 20 seeds per foot of row). Rows 12 to 24 inches. Thin turnip seedlings to 2 to 4 inches apart when they are four inches tall.
Limit
Illinois turnip page. Thin 2–4 in stays Illinois. Not fertilizer.
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Sources differ
When do you plant turnips?
Compare timing on the cited sheets. Clemson HGIC 1324 (South Carolina): late winter/early spring, or late summer for fall/winter. Maryland: as soon as soil can be worked, early spring and late summer. Minnesota: April 15 and August 1. Illinois: as early in spring as possible, also late summer or fall. Not a national plant date.
How far apart do you plant turnips?
Compare spacing on the cited sheets. Clemson: rows 14 to 18 inches, plants 2 to 3 inches, seed ¼ to ½ inch. Maryland: 4 inches in the row. Minnesota: seed 1 to 2 inches, rows 18 to 30 inches, thin 3 to 6 inches. Illinois: ½ inch deep, rows 12 to 24 inches, thin 2 to 4 inches. Not one BioArva grid.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.