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When to remove turnips from the garden
Turnips can be eaten not only raw, but also fried, boiled, steamed. Previously, this vegetable was more common. Due to the high content of trace elements and vitamins, it was an integral part of the peasant’s table, as it is a source of nutrients until spring. It also contains glucoraphanin, which has anti-cancer and anti-diabetic effects. But when to remove turnips from the garden directly depends on the variety and planting time of the root crop.
Turnip picking time from the garden
The time when you need to remove turnips from the garden depends on the purpose for which it is planted, and on the variety. If you plan to use the root vegetable for food, then you should plant it already in late April – early May. Early ripening varieties are sown, ripening in 45 days. In July, you can harvest. When it is necessary to preserve turnips for the winter, the seeds are sown in June-July, and harvested in September-October, before the first frost. Experienced gardeners grow 2 crops per season, choosing the right varieties.
You need to harvest turnips for the winter in order to preserve all the nutrients, taste and juiciness before freezing.
If the first frosts found a turnip in the garden, you need to wait for a thaw and only then dig it out, otherwise the root crop will become bitter, lose its crispness and density.
When the turnip is ripe, its diameter will be 5 cm and begins to protrude above the level of the bed. If it is overripe, it will lose its juiciness and become tough. Unripe root vegetables contain more vitamin C, but they are not suitable for winter storage.
Turnip harvesting technology from the garden
When it’s time to harvest turnips for the winter, you need to responsibly approach the issue of harvesting.
- You can pull out root crops with your hands. If the ground is too hard and damp, a trowel should be used. But this must be done carefully so as not to damage the delicate pulp. Otherwise, it will be unusable for storage in winter.
- Then the tops are trimmed. Only the cutting of about 1 cm remains. The roots are also removed.
- Next, you need to dry it well. For this, a canopy is made so that the direct rays of the sun do not fall on the vegetable.
After drying, it must be stored in a storage place for the winter. To do this, put a layer of sand in a prepared container, then turnips – and so alternate. The top layer must be covered with sand. Sprinkle vegetable slices with crushed activated carbon, ash or chalk.
Finished boxes should be stored in a well-ventilated dark room with an importance of no more than 90%. The optimum air temperature is from 0 to +5.
If you follow these simple recommendations, then you can save the vegetable until early spring and, accordingly, replenish the supply of vitamins in the body. Indeed, since ancient times, this root crop was popular due to the beneficial substances it contains.