We came across this lovely brassica vegetable when trying to find quick growing crops for the CSA. We are glad we did find it! Our family loves it and eats it raw and cooked! Here’s what we learned:

▪︎ Salad Turnips grow more evenly in shape in cool temperatures however they will grow in the Summer too.

▪︎Leaves as well as roots are delicious, technically yielding two crops for the price of one!

▪︎As with most brassicas, the flavor of the roots and leaves are sweeter in the cooler months of the growing season.

▪︎They can be planted densely and still thrive but must be planted in soil rich in organic matter for this to be true.

▪︎We find when night time temps are consistently above 60° these grow the fastest! We have harvested as early as 35 days in Spring! Fall/Winter is a different story altogether. The batch that we just began harvesting from yesterday was planted October 16th.

▪︎We have more success planting in field areas or raised beds as opposed to the high tunnel.

▪︎Although we can tell they prefer full sun, we have noticed they will tolerate partial shade however more growing days will be required.

Cons…

▪︎It seems that all pests love them! If planted in Spring or Summer some sort of organic pesticide will almost certainly be needed. This decreases though as Fall and Winter approach.

▪︎Heavy rainfall or inconsistent watering will cause the roots to split making it even easier for pests to help themselves.

▪︎Leaves tend to hold on to dirt making them a bit more labor intensive to clean.

Have you planted the beautiful Salad Turnip before? What was your experience? Will you plant it again. Let us know in the comments!