34 - Turnip
Brassica rapa
Varieties
- Hakurei
- Tokyo Market Turnip
Disease and Pest Notes
Flea beetles and aphids can be controlled with diatomaceous earth or row cover.
Life cycle
Current Seed Start & Transplant Dates
Note: Seed starting and transplant dates do not always correlate one to one with dates shown below. Note correct start and expected transplant dates on the tag of the tray for seed germination. Adjust dates with plant tags on a yearly basis if necessary. 8 ounces of fertilizer is about 1 cup. Consider Sustane various NPK and Alfalfa Meal or Blood Meal for nitrogen.
Athens
Franklin
Direct Sow Dates ( if any )
Variety Details
Variety Name
Hakurei
Variety Description
This white salad turnip sets the standard for flavor.
The smooth, flat-round, white roots mature early, just after radishes, and are best harvested young up to 2" diameter. Eaten raw, the flavor is sweet and fruity, and the texture is crisp and tender. The tops are useful raw or lightly cooked. Hakurei stays smooth as it sizes.
Japanese turnips are part of the Brassica Rapa species. The Japanese turnip is also known by the names of hakurei turnip, Tokyo turnip, kabu, and salad turnip. The Japanese turnip is considered to have a sweet taste, however turnips contain a chemical called cyanoglucosides, which may cause turnips to taste incredibly bitter depending on your genetic makeup. The taste of turnips you perceive is determined by whether you inherited genes that are sensitive to cyanide.
The Japanese turnip is unlike other turnips in that they can be eaten raw. In fact, it is said they are best eaten raw. The Hakurei turnip has a tender skin that does not require peeling, only scrub well before taking a bite or shaving onto a salad. Hakurei turnips pair well with many foods, including their own greens, and can also be sliced into wedges, sautéed, roasted, quick pickled, boiled or added to soup or stew. When they are cooked they produce a buttery flavor and their sweetness is enhanced.
Seed Vendors
Johnny's } 400 seeds $5
Variety Name
Tokyo Market Turnip
Variety Description
46 days. 2-3 in. tender white roots, great flavor, fast growing. Popular Japanese market variety.
The Japanese turnip is unlike other turnips in that they can be eaten raw. In fact, it is said they are best eaten raw. The Hakurei turnip has a tender skin that does not require peeling, only scrub well before taking a bite or shaving onto a salad. Hakurei turnips pair well with many foods, including their own greens, and can also be sliced into wedges, sautéed, roasted, quick pickled, boiled or added to soup or stew. When they are cooked they produce a buttery flavor and their sweetness is enhanced.
Both roots and leaves may be eaten raw or cooked.
Seed Type
Open Pollinated