Contents
Turnip is a herbaceous plant that grows only in cultivation and is not found in the wild. Culture is cultivated almost all over the world. In Our Country, for a long time, turnips were grown for livestock feed. In the course of selection, table varieties with excellent gastronomic taste appeared. In addition, the culture has a rich nutritional composition.
What is a turnip and what does it look like?
Turnip is a vegetable crop from the Cruciferous family, a close relative of turnip and rutabaga, has another name – fodder turnip. Biennial plant. The root crop is formed mainly due to the hypocotyl knee than due to the root. It has a round or conical shape.
As you can see from the photo, the color of the vegetable, turnips can be different. The upper part of the root crop, located above the soil surface, is green or purple, the underground part is white or yellow, depending on the color of the pulp.
Turnip leaves are light green, simple, oblong-oval, dissected, the edges are solid or serrated. A characteristic feature of the culture is the pubescence of the leaves. In table varieties, leaves with a smooth surface are found. The turnip root goes into the soil to a depth of 80 to 150 cm, and a width of 50 cm.
The growing season is 35-90 days, depending on the variety. This is a long daylight plant. The culture is cold-resistant, seedlings withstand frosts down to -5°C. Seeds are able to germinate at a temperature of +2°C. The optimum temperature for the development of root crops is + 15 ° С.
To grow a vegetable crop, the sum of active temperatures in the range of 1800-2000°C is required.
Useful properties of turnip root
Turnip contains a large amount of vitamin C. The daily requirement is covered by eating two medium-sized root vegetables per day. Also in the turnip there are various minerals, trace elements and amino acids. Vegetable refers to dietary products. It is included in the menu of low-calorie diets, which are used in the treatment of obesity, diabetes and gout.
Other Benefits of Turnip:
- increases appetite;
- possesses bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties;
- liquefies blood;
- strengthens blood vessels;
- soothes the nervous system;
- boosts immunity.
Contraindications for use are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The use of turnips in large quantities is not recommended for everyone, because it causes bloating and general weakness.
Decoctions of different parts of the turnip are used in folk medicine. In cosmetology, it is used as a component of tonic masks.
Turnip taste
The taste of the vegetable is juicy, sweet, with a characteristic sharpness reminiscent of radish. In the turnip, both roots and tops are edible, which are consumed fresh, as well as after various culinary processing. The leaves have a mustard flavor. Small root crops are tastier than large fodder turnips
Excessive bitterness is removed from the root crop by lowering it into boiling water. In different countries, turnips are used in salads, baked, and soups are prepared. Pickled in the Middle East and Italy. Fermented in Korea to make a spicy kimchi dish. In Japan, it is fried with salt and is also used as an ingredient in misoshira.
A variety of turnip
Turnip varieties are divided according to the color of the root pulp. The flesh is white or yellow meat.
Below are the turnip varieties that can be found for sale in Our Country.
Московский – early ripe variety, ripening time from germination to ripeness – 50-60 days. Root crops are rounded with a smooth surface. The underground part is white, the upper part is purple. The pulp is white, juicy, dense. Weight – 300-400 g. Suitable for private and industrial cultivation.
Osterzundomsky – a variety with elongated cone-shaped roots. The color of the peel is purple in the upper part, white in the lower part.
Different types of turnips are more suitable for growing in regions with a temperate and cold climate. In the southern regions, crops are more often damaged by pests.
There are other well-known varieties.
Purple turnip.
Golden Ball.
Snow ball.
Green ball.
Japanese.
White.
Amber ball.
About 30 varieties of fodder turnips are grown in different parts of the world.
Planting turnip for seedlings
For an earlier harvest, turnips can be planted with pre-grown seedlings. But the plant does not tolerate a pick. Therefore, the seedling method is applicable only for small planting volumes. The method of growing turnips through seedlings is more laborious, but it makes it possible to protect seedlings from cruciferous flea.
When to sow turnip seedlings
For seedlings, seeds begin to be sown 1,5 months before planting in open ground. Sowing time is calculated from the date after which frost-free weather is established in the growing region, including at night.
Soil and seed preparation
Seeds are inspected before sowing, damaged ones are removed, for the rest, pre-sowing preparation is carried out.
Seed preparation for sowing:
- Seeds are checked for fullness. To do this, they are lowered into the water, the hollow seeds float up, they are collected and thrown away.
- To eliminate the pathogenic microflora, the seeds are washed in a fungicide solution.
- For faster germination, the seeds are kept for some time in water at room temperature.
The soil for cultivation is taken fertile, loose and with neutral acidity. Seeds for the convenience of further transplantation are grown in peat cups or tablets. Peat tablets contain a ready-made substrate for planting.
Sowing
Turnips due to poor transplant tolerance are sown immediately in separate containers. It is convenient to grow seedlings in peat cups or tablets and then transplant them into open ground without removing the container shell. So, the root system of a vegetable crop will not be disturbed, and the shell of peat cups or tablets will decompose in the soil on its own.
When sowing, several seeds are dipped in one container. Close up to a depth of 2-2,5 cm. For better contact of the seeds with the ground, the soil is slightly pressed after planting.
Seed care
Planting containers are placed on the windowsill. If the window is cold, then a warm layer is placed under the containers. You can grow seedlings in a heated greenhouse at a temperature of + 5 … + 15 ° С. Care is regular watering.
After thinning
After the appearance of several true leaves in the sprouts, the crops must be thinned out. Only the strongest seedling is left in one planting container, the rest are cut off with disinfected scissors at soil level. It is impossible to pull out seedlings so as not to damage the remaining specimen.
How to plant turnip outdoors
Most often, a vegetable crop is planted by direct sowing in the ground in early spring. Podzimny sowing is not used. Given the early sowing, the ridge must be prepared in the fall. Depending on the initial fertility of the soil, fertilizers are applied to it, dug up.
Strongly acidified soils lime. For growing turnips, a ridge after growing beans, cucumbers or onions is suitable. It is completely free from plant residues and weeds. The bed should be loose and light, therefore, in preparation for winter, it is covered with mulch or a protective non-woven material.
Terms of planting
Turnip is one of the most cold-resistant root crops. By direct sowing in open ground, the crop is planted in late April – early May, depending on the climate of the region. Despite the fact that mature plants can withstand temperatures down to -6 ° C, a prolonged cold spring can cause flowering in the first year of cultivation.
Site preparation
Turnip is one of the most moisture-loving crops among root crops. Therefore, it is suitable for planting in lowlands, more provided with moisture. Turnip is a plant with a long daylight hours. For high-quality development, he needs 12 hours of lighting per day.
It is best to grow a crop on light soils, heavy soils are of little use. The acidity of the soil is preferably weak – pH 6,0 … 6,5, but plants can withstand more acidification. Areas with a strong spread of wireworm are not suitable.
Loams, soils rich in organic matter are suitable for growing turnips, sandy soils are least suitable. Before planting, the bed is well loosened and leveled.
Rules of landing
Turnip cultivation technology is simple, similar to the cultivation of closely related crops – rutabagas and turnips. When growing turnips, crop rotation is observed.
In particular, it is necessary to take into account the previous sowing of ridges with green manure belonging to the same family – oilseed radish and rapeseed, which have common diseases and pests. After the turnip (fodder turnip), it is favorable to grow crops from other families.
Seeds
For uniformity of crops, granulated superphosphate can be added to the seeds. Seeds are sown in a two-line way, keeping a distance of 50 cm between rows. Dense sprouts are thinned out to the phase of formation of 3 true leaves. After thinning, 20 cm gaps are left between plants, counting the distance from the center of the tops.
Seedlings
Seedlings are transplanted into open ground in the second half of May. But after the threat of frost has passed. Before transplanting to a permanent place of cultivation, the plants are hardened, gradually increasing the time spent outdoors.
A hole for planting turnip seedlings is dug 5-6 cm deep. The roots are dipped in a clay mash. The plant is lowered into the hole, slightly pressed. Water and shade for the first time.
Growing and caring for turnips outdoors
Turnips are planted twice in the spring and summer. In early spring after thawing of the soil and in August. Sufficient feeding area is necessary for growing turnips.
Seed germination is high. Growing and caring for turnips are:
- weeding;
- thinning seedlings;
- loosening row spacing;
- feeding and watering.
Watering and top dressing
Water the turnips regularly so that the soil under the root crops does not dry out and does not crack. Especially the culture needs moisture during the formation of root crops. From the lack of moisture, the taste of turnip becomes bitter, and the flesh is tough. With an excess of watering, the internal structure becomes watery. Drip irrigation is well suited.
Apply organic top dressing in the form of infusions of slurry or chicken manure. Closer to the middle of summer, superphosphate is added, which increases the sweetness of the fruit. Good nutrition for the culture gives an infusion of wood ash.
Weeding and loosening
A ridge with a vegetable crop should be clean of weeds that take away nutrients and moisture. Weeding is required on average 4-5 times per season. Simultaneously with weeding, row spacing is loosened.
Mulching
Plantings are mulched with mowed grass, pouring a layer of about 1 cm. Mulch allows you to reduce the temperature of the soil, retains moisture in it. Under a layer of mulch, the soil remains loose and less weeds form.
Thanks to mulching, the top layer of soil is not washed away, and the upper part of the root crop remains covered. With a strong exposure of the top of the root crop, useful substances are partially lost.
Protection against diseases and pests
Cruciferous turnips are prone to attack by the cruciferous flea, especially in dry and hot weather. The insects eat the leaves. Spraying with insecticide solutions is used against pests.
Common diseases are white rot and downy mildew. White rot often occurs on heavy soils, affecting the root collar and lower leaves. It is determined by the appearance of cotton-like white mycelium on the affected areas.
Peronosporosis or downy mildew occurs with sharp changes in day and night temperatures, prolonged rains. When infected, blurry spots of various shades appear on young leaves, on their underside there is a grayish coating.
Fungal infections often occur on acidic soils, so the soil for growing turnips must be limed. For prevention and treatment, spraying is carried out with a solution of Fitosporin, as well as preparations containing copper.
Turnip yield
Turnip is a crop that is suitable for growing in temperate climates. In a cool and rainy summer, it shows a higher yield than in a hot and dry one. The presence of nutrients in the soil also affects the yield.
Turnip varieties with elongated roots are more productive than round ones, just as those with white flesh are more productive than those with yellow. Depending on the growing conditions and variety, the yield is from 4 to 8 kg per square meter. m.
Turnip harvesting and storage
The turnip ripening period is from 1,5 to 3 months, depending on the variety. The time of harvesting the root crop can be determined by the yellowing of the lower leaves. Turnips planted in spring are harvested at the end of June. Vegetables of this period are more suitable for summer consumption.
To obtain root crops, for winter storage, they are sown in the second half of summer. In autumn, fodder turnips from the garden begin to be removed before frost. Frozen root crops cannot be stored for a long time.
Vegetables are removed from the soil by hand without digging, cleaned from the ground. Root crops must be dried before harvesting. In good weather, after digging, they are left in the garden or removed under a ventilated canopy. The tops are cut off, leaving a stump of a few centimeters. The leaves are used as animal feed or composted.
Healthy specimens without damage are laid for storage. It is best to store turnips in a rigid container, but not to lay along with other types of root crops. Store vegetables in cool rooms, refrigerators or balconies at a temperature of 0 … + 2 ° C. Root crops are suitable for laying in heaps and trenches with a layer of sand or soil. Properly stored, turnips remain intact until the next harvest.
Reproduction of fodder turnip
Turnip or fodder turnip is a biennial plant. In the first year it forms roots, and the seeds appear in the second year. For reproduction in the first year of cultivation, the uterine root crop is selected, stored in the same way as vegetables for eating, but separately.
The next year, the mother liquor is planted in open ground. Fertile, loose soils are chosen for cultivation. The uterine root crop is planted as the soil is ready, when it warms up and the lumps stop sticking together. After 3 months, the plant throws out flower stalks, on which yellow four-petal flowers appear, characteristic of the Cruciferous family. Seeds ripen in fruits – long pods. The collection of seed plants is carried out as they mature, which is uneven in the plant.
Seeds of culture are small, oval-rounded, brown-red or black. The testicles are cut to shedding and dried, laying out in a thin layer in a well-ventilated place. Collected seeds are stored in cloth bags or in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Conclusion
Turnip is a healthy, dietary vegetable. The root crop is suitable for those who care about health and prefer healthy foods. The increased content of vitamin C and phytoncides allows you to use the vegetable to maintain immunity. A simple planting of a turnip and care in the open field allow even a novice gardener to grow it.
