Purple Top White Globe Turnips Vegetables Seeds - West Coast Seeds

PRODUCT DETAILS

Purple Top White Globe turnip seeds are from an old heirloom turnip dating back prior to 1880. The roots are smooth and nearly round. Bright purple on top and creamy white in the portion below the soil line. They are mild flavoured and sweet, and can reach 13cm (5"") in diameter but are better for eating when picked at 5-8cm (2-3""). The young leaves of this variety can be cooked for traditional ""southern greens."" Both the roots and greens are an excellent source of vitamin C. Remember that turnips belong to the Brassica family, so plant them in your garden with crop rotation in mind.

Matures in 55 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Sweet and mild flavoured

Smooth roots are nearly round

Bright purple on top

Open-pollinated seeds

Matures in 55 days

All About Purple Top White Globe

Latin

Brassica rapa var. rapa

Family: Brassicaceae

Difficulty

Easy

Season:

Cool season Exposure: Full sun

Timing

Direct sow short rows starting just after the last frost date, through summer, and into the fall. Where winters are mild they can be started right into October. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 18-21°C (66-70°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

Starting

Sow 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep in rows spaced 60cm (24″) apart, and thin to 15-20cm (6-8″) apart in the row.

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Humus-rich, deeply cultivated soil is key. Add plenty of well rotted compost or manure to the beds and cultivate to a depth of 20cm (8″). Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. The real secret to success with turnips is speed. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks, thin them quickly, keep them watered, harvest, and then sow some more.

Harvest

Gather greens and roots throughout summer as needed. Their immature seed pods are also tasty.

Seed Info

At least 80% of seeds will germinate in optimal conditions. Usual seed life: 4 years. Per 100′ row: 300 seeds, per acre: 87M seeds.

Diseases & Pests

Remember that turnips are members of the Brassica family, so they should not be planted where other Brassicas have been grown in the past 4 years. This simple crop rotation will prevent nearly all diseases from occurring in the first place. Floating row cover will protect plants from cabbage moth and flea beetles.

Companion Planting

Turnips are easy going, but benefit from mint and pea companions.