These are problems people actually ran into growing turnip at home, in their own words. Each answer starts with the answer. Everything here is organic — compost and homemade feeds instead of chemical fertiliser, and no synthetic pesticide — and assumes a pot on a balcony, patio or windowsill rather than a field.
Keep your bunny safe and your turnips growing by fencing off the turnip bed with a solid wire enclosure and giving your rabbit its own sheltered area inside the same garden. Use untreated wood and sturdy mesh with small holes, and bury the bottom edge so the bunny can’t dig out or predators dig in.
Turnips are a cool-season root crop that germinate in about 7 days and are usually ready around 45 days. They need about 4 hours of sun and grow best between 2–22°C. Protect the growing row or pot — if you’re using containers, a 5-liter pot works well — by placing the pot inside the pen or on a raised stand the bunny can’t reach.
Give your rabbit a hide box, fresh water, and a safe grazing spot with grass or rabbit-safe plants. Never use synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers on turnips; build soil with compost, water when the top inch is dry, and hand-pick any pests. That way the bunny stays safe, and your turnips thrive. Harvest them as soon as the roots reach usable size — about 45 days.
No turnip variety truly handles summer heat, so the best answer is to avoid midsummer sowing altogether. Turnips are a cool-season root crop; they prefer temperatures up to 22°C and will bolt or turn bitter once it gets hotter. Instead of hunting for a heat-resistant variety, grow fast-maturing turnips (about 45 days to harvest) in the cooler parts of the season — sow in late summer for autumn, or very early spring before the heat builds. If you must grow through warmer spells, give them afternoon shade on a balcony, keep the potting soil consistently moist (never let it dry out), and mulch with compost. This keeps roots from stressing. For containers, use a pot holding at least 5 liters, and harvest promptly at 45 days — don't leave them in the ground, as roots get woody and hot weather makes them more pungent. Stick to open-pollinated, quick-maturing varieties; any that mature in the shortest days will give you the best chance. Grow them as a spring or fall crop, not a true summer one.
Your turnip seed is growing because seeds don’t need a big pot to sprout — germination only needs moisture and warmth, so even a very small pot works at first. Turnip seeds usually germinate within about 7 days, so being at 4 days of growth is perfectly normal. The problem isn’t growth now; it’s what the pot can’t provide later: room for the taproot to swell into a bulb. In a very small pot, the root will hit the bottom and stay skinny, giving you greens but no turnip. If you want a proper turnip, gently transplant the seedling into a container that holds at least 5 liters of soil, keeping the stem at the same depth, and water it in well with a little compost tea or diluted worm castings. Do this while the seedling is still young, before the root gets too long. If you can’t repot, just enjoy it as a leafy green. Give it 4 or more hours of direct sun, keep the soil evenly moist, and harvest greens as needed.
Store turnips in a cool, dark, humid place with the leafy tops cut off. In Ireland, a shed, garage or the fridge's salad drawer works well for the few weeks they keep fresh.
The reason for cutting the tops is simple: the leaves keep drawing moisture out of the root, making it soft and shrivelled. Leave about an inch of stem on each turnip. Do not wash them before storing — dirt actually helps protect the skin. Place them in a perforated bag, a cardboard box, or layer them in a container of slightly damp sand. Keep them away from direct sunlight and frost.
If your turnips are home-grown in pots, they can stay in the container and be pulled as needed, as long as the soil doesn't freeze solid. For longer storage, slice or dice the roots, blanch them in boiling water for a minute, cool them, then freeze. They lose crispness but keep flavour for winter soups and stews. Check stored turnips weekly and remove any that soften or spot, so rot doesn't spread to the rest.
Something is tearing into your turnip leaves—most likely cabbage worm caterpillars or slugs, which both chew ragged holes. Caterpillars often hide on the leaf underside during the day, while slugs feed at night and leave silvery trails. Check under the leaves and after dark with a torch; pick off anything you find and drop it into soapy water. For caterpillars, cover your pot with a lightweight mesh or netting so butterflies can’t lay eggs. For slugs, set a shallow saucer of beer sunk into the soil—they crawl in and drown. Sprinkle crushed eggshells or wood ash around the pot rim as a scratchy barrier. Keep the pot clear of fallen leaves so pests have nowhere to hide. Turnips are cool-season roots that can handle a spot with about 4 hours of sun, and a 5-litre pot gives them enough room, but if the leaves get shredded the roots may still form—just protect new growth. Harvest in around 45 days from sowing; check the leaves regularly and act early.
Flea beetles are eating the leaves, and cabbage root fly maggots are eating the roots of your turnips. Flea beetles leave tiny round shot-holes in the leaves; cabbage root fly maggots tunnel into the root and make it brown and inedible.
Both attack brassicas and are common in UK gardens. In a pot or windowbox, the simplest fix is to cover the whole container with a fine mesh or horticultural fleece from sowing right through to harvest — about 45 days for turnips. That stops adult flies and beetles laying eggs. For root fly, also press a cardboard collar around the stem at soil level so the fly can’t reach the base.
Keep the soil moist and don’t leave bare soil between plants. Pick off any affected leaves and remove any damaged roots. Add a layer of compost around the plants to keep them strong. Don’t grow turnips again in the same container for at least a season. If you see slugs too, trap them under wet boards at night and remove them by hand.
Store your Aji Kogane turnips in the refrigerator, not at room temperature, because they are a cool-season root that cannot hold through summer heat. Turnips grow best in cool conditions, roughly up to 22°C; once the weather warms, roots turn woody, pithy, and quickly rot.
What to do: harvest at around 45 days, before the hottest weeks. Cut off the leafy tops, leave the roots unwashed, and put them in a perforated bag or damp cloth in the fridge crisper. Check weekly and remove any that soften. This should carry them through several weeks of summer.
If you need longer storage, ferment or pickle them. Sliced turnips in a simple salt brine ferment at room temperature and keep through the summer, with no electricity or chemical preservatives. Do not leave them growing in the pot: a 5-liter container in summer heat warms too fast and reduces quality. Save seed or sow again when cool weather returns.
Yes, turnip seed pods are edible and safe to eat. Once the plant has bolted, the young, tender pods have a mild, peppery turnip flavour, while older pods get tough and seedy. If you missed the root harvest, don’t pull the plant — let it flower and form pods, then pick them while they’re still green and snap easily. Pods taste best raw in salads, lightly steamed, or stir-fried. Because turnips are a cool-season crop, bolting happens naturally as the weather warms above their comfort range. In a container, the plant may have been stressed by dry soil or crowding, which speeds up bolting. To keep getting pods, water regularly in your 5-litre pot and pick pods often so the plant keeps producing. If pods are already brown and dry, they’re too tough to eat, but you can save the seeds for sowing later. For the best root harvest next time, sow in cool weather and harvest before 45 days pass — once it bolts, the root turns woody and the pods become the crop.
Your turnip seedlings are growing slowly because turnips are a cool-season crop and the “good weather” you describe is too warm for them. Hakurei turnips grow best between 2°C and 22°C; once temperatures climb above 22°C, root growth slows down no matter how well you water.
To help them: move the pot into morning sun only, giving it about 4 hours of direct sun with afternoon shade. Keep the soil evenly moist but not sitting in water—turnips hate wet feet. If seedlings are crowded, thin them gently so each root has room to form. Top-dress with a little finished compost for steady nutrition, and don’t give high-nitrogen feed; that makes leaves and skips roots. If your container is small, repot into one holding at least 5 liters of soil so roots can bulk up freely. Finally, be patient: Hakurei turnips mature in about 45 days, so once the heat eases, they’ll put on a growth spurt.
The brown spots are frost damage from snow and ice, not a disease. Ice crystals puncture the leaf cells, so the tissue dies and turns brown.
Turnips can handle cold down to 2°C, but snow lying directly on the leaves injures them, especially in an exposed pot. The root below is probably fine, and the plant will grow new clean leaves.
Pick off the worst-spotted leaves and leave the healthy inner ones. Move the pot to a sheltered wall or under an overhang, and cover the plants with a cloth if more snow or ice is forecast. Don’t water frozen soil; water only when the top inch of soil is dry. If the root feels firm, you don’t need to do anything else.
If it’s been 45 days since sowing, you can harvest the turnips now—cold damage to the leaves doesn’t hurt the root. If they’re younger, give the plant a weak compost tea feed and let it regrow. Avoid leaving the pot in standing water. The new leaves should come through clean.
You don’t switch to a P-K fertiliser for turnips — use an organic phosphorus-potassium boost once the roots begin to swell instead. Synthetic P-K feeds work quickly but can harm soil life and aren’t needed for a healthy container crop. Turnips grow leaves first, then put energy into the root. Too much nitrogen at that later stage encourages leafy tops and small, woody roots, so the goal is to lower nitrogen and support root formation.
If your turnips are on a 45-day harvest schedule, start the switch when you see the root shoulder pushing above the soil — usually around halfway through growth. At that point, water them with a homemade feed: soak mature comfrey leaves in water for about two weeks and dilute the dark liquid, or use a weak compost tea. A light sprinkle of wood ash around the base adds potassium, but don’t let it touch the leaves. Feed every couple of weeks until you pull the roots. Keep the soil evenly moist and remember turnips prefer cool weather and around 4 hours of sun. This organic approach gives you firm, sweet roots without the need for synthetic fertilisers.
Red turnip leaves in Atlanta are almost always a sign of cool-temperature stress, not a disease, so the fix is to protect the plants from cold nights rather than remove them. Turnips are a cool-season crop whose leaves turn red or purple when soil or air temperatures dip near their minimum of 2°C, which happens easily in Atlanta's early spring or late fall nights. This colour change is the plant slowing down and storing sugars, like beet leaves do. To help, move containers against a warm wall or under an overhang on cold nights, and mulch the pot surface with compost or straw to keep roots warmer. Also make sure the soil isn't waterlogged — cold, wet roots make reddening worse. Water only when the top inch of soil feels dry, and feed lightly with compost tea or a thin layer of worm castings, since a mild phosphorus boost from organic matter supports root growth. Do not remove the red leaves unless they're mushy; they'll green up again when temperatures rise. If nights stay below about 2°C for long, bring pots indoors to a bright windowsill until it warms.
Pinholes in turnip seedlings are flea beetle feeding. These tiny, shiny black beetles jump when disturbed and chew small round holes in young leaves. Check the undersides; if you see them, knock them into a jar of soapy water. Then cover the pot with fine insect mesh or a floating row cover immediately, and keep it on until the seedlings are well established. Turnips are a cool-season root crop, so give the pot a bright spot and don’t let it dry out — a 5-litre container is plenty for a few plants. Spray the leaves with a homemade garlic repellent (soak crushed garlic in water, strain, add a drop of mild soap) and reapply after rain. Remove any fallen leaves or plant debris from the pot and saucer, because flea beetles hide in litter and soil. The damage is mostly cosmetic; once true leaves grow, the plant will outgrow it, and the turnip root itself is unaffected.
Only if the seedling has two rounded seed leaves first, then a true leaf that is slightly broad, with a soft notch at the tip — if it looks like a thin grass blade or has fuzzy, divided leaves, it’s a weed, not a baby turnip.
Turnips germinate in about 7 days, and they grow fast, so you can wait until the first true leaf appears — that’s the safest moment to tell. The true leaves are smooth, a bit grey-green, and eventually form a swollen neck at soil level. Weeds usually have different leaf shapes, so learn what the turnip looks like, not just “any leaf”.
To avoid pulling the wrong plant, thin turnips by pinching unwanted seedlings at soil level, never by yanking. That way you won’t disturb the taproot of the one you keep. Grow them in a 5-litre container in cool weather, give them about 4 hours of sun, and keep the soil evenly moist. You can harvest the whole baby turnip in roughly 45 days — by then the root will be obvious, so there’s no guessing.
Hand-pick every beetle you see and immediately cover the pot with fine mesh or garden fleece.
Red turnip beetles chew leaves and breed fast, so a single missed day can double the problem. Pick each morning into a jar of soapy water, and check under leaves and around the soil. Then drop a snug netting over the plant – this blocks new beetles while letting in light and air. If you find eggs or larvae, rub them off with a damp cloth. For stubborn infestations, spray with neem oil mixed with a drop of mild dish soap and water, covering both leaf sides. Or dust food-grade diatomaceous earth on leaves and soil after watering; reapply after rain. Keep the container free of fallen leaves and debris, and never compost infested material. Since turnips are ready in 45 days, two to three weeks of daily checks plus a barrier is enough to get you to harvest. Move the pot to a fresh spot next season, as beetles can survive in old soil.
It’s likely mild transplant shock from thinning, but your turnips should recover if you help their roots settle. When you pull out seedlings, you tear the fine roots of the ones left behind, so they pause growth to heal. The soil also gets loosened around the remaining roots, which can leave them dry or wobbly.
Gently press the soil back around each seedling so roots have firm contact. Water lightly until the top inch of soil feels moist, not soaked. A weak compost tea or a sprinkle of worm castings on the surface gives them gentle organic support without burning young roots. Keep them in their usual cool spot—turnips are a cool-season crop and grow best in mild weather, not hot sun.
Don’t thin again by pulling. If you need to thin more, snip the extra seedlings at soil level with scissors. That avoids disturbing roots completely. Check the pot is big enough—about 5 liters is fine for a few turnips. They should show new growth within a couple of weeks. If they stay stalled, check for too much heat, soggy soil, or overcrowding.
Yes—both wild radish and turnip are edible, but only eat it after you’re certain which one you have.
These two are close relatives in the mustard family, and the roots and leaves of both are safe to eat. The danger is confusing them with a non-edible lookalike. Turnip leaves tend to be smooth or slightly fuzzy with a rounded pale root, while wild radish often has deeply lobed lower leaves and four-petalled white, yellow, or purple flowers. If you grew the plant from a turnip seed in a pot, it’s a turnip.
To check, gently dig around the root. A turnip forms a round, fleshy bulb; wild radish has a thin, woody taproot. Both have a peppery, mustard-like smell when cut. When you’re sure, wash it well and taste a small piece first.
If you’re not 100% sure, don’t eat it. Easiest fix: sow your own turnip seeds in a pot with at least 5 liters of soil, keep it in cool weather, give it sun, and harvest around 45 days. That way there’s no guesswork.
Your turnips are small and grooved because root maggots are tunnelling into them, and the plants are likely too crowded or the weather is too warm for a cool-season root crop.
The gouged grooves are the maggots’ feeding damage. They also stunt growth. In a pot, you can physically stop the adult fly from laying eggs: cover the soil surface around each seedling with a barrier of cardboard or a tight-fitting cloth, then remove it when you harvest. Remove any damaged roots and do not compost them. These flies can persist in soil, so after this crop, empty the pot and refresh the mix before planting anything from the cabbage family again.
Small size also comes from crowding. Thin turnips so each has room to form a root — think one plant per 5-liter pot if growing a single turnip, or space several in a wider container. They also need cool conditions: grow when temperatures stay between 2 and 22 degrees, and keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Harvest at around 45 days, before they get tough or woody.
No, it is not necessarily too late to plant turnips now—as long as you have roughly 45 days of cool weather ahead (night temperatures above about 2°C and days below about 22°C). Turnips are a cool-season root crop, and they germinate in about 7 days. They grow fast, so a late sowing can still give you a harvest before the season truly ends. To make up for lost time, sow in a container at least 5 liters in size and place it where it gets about 4 hours of sun. Keep the soil evenly moist—dry spells make roots tough and hot weather makes them bolt. If frosts arrive before 45 days, protect the pot with a cloth or move it against a warm wall; turnips can take light frost. Use a compost-enriched mix, and side-dress with diluted compost tea or worm castings when leaves are small, but don’t overdo nitrogen—you want root growth. Sow thinly, then thin seedlings to a finger-width apart. Even a late “last gasp” can succeed with a little shelter.
No, your leggy turnip seedlings are probably not beyond help. Leanness and bending are the classic result of too much humidity and too little light — the seedlings stretch upward searching for light. First, take off the humidity dome so air can move around them, and let the soil surface dry slightly between waterings. Then give them more light: turnips need direct sun for about 4 hours each day, so put them in a brighter window or on a sheltered balcony.
To strengthen the bent stems, gently transplant each seedling deeper into a small pot, burying the stem up to the seed leaves. Firm the soil lightly, water with a dilute compost tea, and keep them cool — turnips prefer temperatures up to 22°C. Avoid heat and waterlogging. Once they stand straight and have a couple of true leaves, move them into a 5-litre container with good drainage. With these changes, most leggy turnip seedlings recover quickly and go on to form healthy roots. If any stems are broken or rotting, pull those out, but the rest are worth saving.
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If you haven't sown yet, the full container guide covers pot size, light, timing and what it costs versus buying it: how to grow turnip at home in a pot.