Part of our heritage week focus on creating a traditional Irish kitchen garden
How to grow and harvest Turnips
Turnips are having a bit of a comeback moment with top restaurants in New York now giving them pride of place. Time to reconsider these modest kitchen staples of bygone days.
Firstly, turnips are easy to grow from seed. They also only take 30 to 60 days to be ready for harvesting and you can easily grow some in a large pot 8 inches deep. So let's get to it!
Steps:
Sow turnip seed directly to the soil a half inch deep and one inch apart in wide rows of 12-24 inches.
Thin out the seedlings to about 4-6 inches apart.
Turnips prefer cool weather and take 30-60 days to mature for harvesting. You can sow turnips in late summer for an autumn harvest and / or in early autumn for late autumn harvest.
Turnips like moist soil, it helps them grow quicker too. It's also a good idea to add some aged compost to their sides mid-season.
When harvesting turnips check that the roots are 2-3 inches in diameter and lift them carefully.
The green leaves of turnips can also be used and are often served wilted in place of kale.