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Gardening has always been a strong tradition here in Newfoundland, and for good reason. Newfoundland is a great place for agriculture. Humans have pursued gardening as an endeavor since our species first started cultivating plants some 12,000 years ago.

Today, agriculture plays a pivotal role in human civilization and our expansion across the globe. It's what makes it possible to have 8 billion of us on the planet. Without agriculture, we would not have enough food to eat and people would starve.

Because of our special climate, coastal gardening here in Newfoundland poses its own set of challenges and opportunities. Although the growing season here is shorter, one can grow most crops successfully here in Newfoundland, and while traditional plants like potatoes, cabbage, turnip, and carrot are always a hit, you can grow so much more and have a lot of fun doing it. Kale, Swiss Chard, and Asian greens are fun and rewarding plants that are both easy to grow and produce tasty food all summer long. Once planted, perennials like asparagus, strawberries, and rhubarb will keep coming back year after year and get better over time.

Around Newfoundland's Southern Avalon Peninsula, a shorter growing season usually means not putting plants outside until the first week of June.

Some people say to wait until Father's Day to plant certain crops like potatoes. Other's say to wait until the first full moon in June. You can cheat and put your plants out early but there is a lot of wisdom associated with listening to local knowledge. Planting too early means a greater risk of succumbing to a spring frost. Put your plants out too early and you risk stunting or killing them.

Shoot for the start of June and make your plan around the long term forecast.

If you're fortunate enough to have a greenhouse, you can start crops much earlier, giving you access to fresh daily greens starting in May.

Even if you don't have access to a greenhouse, you can easily build a cold frame or rudimentary garden tent out of wood or logs and some clear plastic sheeting. In a pinch, raised beds can be covered with plastic at night if there is a risk of spring frost.

In the early season, the best crops to plant inside a greenhouse are salads like spinach, swiss chard, mustard, arugula, and mixed greens. These greens can tolerate cold well and grow best in mild temperatures.

Later, as temperatures heat up, use the greenhouse for heat-loving plants like tomatoes and move your mixed green production outdoors.

Successive planting is the key to harvesting lots of greens in the early season.

You can plant seeds, then a week later plant more seeds at the base of the plants that have now started to sprout from a week earlier. This will ensure you will always have more salad growing.

Planting spinach in Newfoundland is especially great since it thrives in our cooler spring daytime temperatures. Trim the leaves with a clean sharp knife as you need them and more will grow back to take their place.

While starting with salads in your greenhouse, you can concurrently germinate some tomato plants indoors during this time.

Starting your tomato plants early and indoors will give them an ahead start and, since tomatoes require more heat units than leafy greens, they can grow in an ideal environment until it's warm enough to put them inside the greenhouse.

While it is possible to grow tomatoes outside in certain Newfoundland microclimates, because tomatoes are heat-loving plants that grow best in sheltered warm areas, growing them in a greenhouse is ideal.

No Greenhouse? No Problem! Strawberries can be planted outside in the spring as soon as the soil is workable. They will spread, proliferate, and come back year after year. Same with plants like rhubarb and asparagus.

Greens like rapeseed are great to sew directly into the soil outdoors and will grow quickly, ready to harvest in 5 to 6 weeks. The great thing about planting perennials like strawberries and asparagus is they will come back year after year.

Potatoes are another great crop to grow. Get a bag of seed potatoes, dig some trenches, and go to town planting. Potatoes are easy to grow here in Newfoundland since coastal Newfoundland soil tends to be a little on the acidic side, exactly the way potatoes like it.

Potatoes are a lot of fun to grow and harvest. Potatoes like water and soil that is rich in nutrients.

PRO TIP: You will know your potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves start to turn yellow

Whether you're a seasoned Newfoundland Gardener or this is your first time planting a garden, Newfoundland gardening is fun and rewarding. There is nothing better than growing your own food and developing a connection to where your food comes from.

It's easy to do, and, just like anything, the more you do it the better you get. This is the year of the gardener, and with more people getting into home gardening then ever before, there is no better time to green up your thumb and take on a Newfoundland gardening project of your own.

Feeding your Newfoundland Garden is important. If you're growing organically like us, you can feed your garden with Newfoundland seaweed compost from the beach, garden compost made from your food scraps, and compost tea. Animals like the whale house ducks provide a great fertilization service to the garden by picking insects from the garden and fertilizing the crops as they go.

Are you growing your own garden here in Newfoundland? What crops are you growing in your Newfoundland garden? Let us know what's growing on in the comments below.

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Gardening has always been a strong tradition here in Newfoundland, and for good reason. Newfoundland is a great place for agriculture. Humans have pursued gardening as an endeavor since our species first started cultivating plants some 12,000 years ago. Today, agriculture plays a pivotal role in ...

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Parsnips, popular with ancient Greeks and Romans, were brought over to the Americas with the first colonists. Like carrots, parsnips are biennials, but they are usually grown as an annual vegetable. They taste best after being kissed by an autumn frost before harvest. Here's how to plant, grow, and harvest parsnips in your garden!

About Parsnips

A relative of the carrot, parsnips are a super-hardy, cool-season crop that requires a long growing season and is best harvested after a few fall frosts. Parsnips are especially tasty in soups and stews, lending them a nutty, sweet flavor, but these root vegetables can also be enjoyed by themselves as a side dish. Plus, they are packed with nutrients, like potassium and vitamins B6 and C!

Note: Parsnip leaves contain a sap that may irritate the skin. When weeding around or harvesting parsnips, wearing long sleeves and gloves is recommended.

Plant parsnips in a sunny area with loose soil that drains well and is free of rocks. Clay or compacted soils can cause parsnip roots to be thin and misshapen. Make sure the area is clear of weeds. Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost or aged manure for fertility.

When to Plant Parsnips

Parsnips need a long growing season, so sow seeds as soon as the soil is workable in the spring. Parsnip seeds will germinate in soil temperatures as low as 48°F (9°C), but ideally soil at 50º to 54ºF will speed up the process.

How to Plant Parsnips

Don't plant where sod grew in the previous season. Excess nitrogen in the soil will cause overabundant top grow and poor root development. Consider doing a soil test.

Plant in loose soil that drains well and is free of rocks. Clay or compacted soils can cause parsnip roots to be thin and misshapen.

Make sure the area is clear of weeds.

Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost or aged manure for fertility.

Always sow fresh seed. Parsnip seeds do not store well and seeds that are more than a year old will have a reduced germination rate.

Sow seeds directly in the garden.

Sow 2-3 seeds per inch, 1/2-inch deep. Sow in rows 18 to 24 inches wide.
Tip: Sow radish seeds in between your parsnip seedings. Radishes will grow quickly, marking the row and loosening the soil for the parsnips.

Parsnips are slow to germinate. Seedlings typically emerge in 2 to 3 weeks, or longer in soil temperatures below 50°F (10°C). Be sure to keep soil moist while seeds are germinating.
Tip: To speed up germination, give parsnip seeds a head start on wet paper towels indoors. Soak paper towels or cotton wool pads. Place them on a saucer and press papery parsnip seeds into them. Keep the seeds warm (50º to 54ºF) and watch for little white roots to appear. Then sow as described. Discard any seeds that fail.

Once parsnip seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin them so that they're spaced 3 to 4 inches apart. To avoid disturbing the delicate roots of the remaining seedlings, simply snip off the tops of the ones you're thinning rather than pulling them out.

Always keep the beds free of weeds, especially when plants are young.

Use row covers to deter pests.

Parsnips need a fair amount of moisture to form healthy roots. Water during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.

As long as you started with good soil, fertilizing is likely not necessary. Excess nitrogen will encourage top growth instead of root growth.

Once roots start to form, hill soil around the plants' base to prevent the root's shoulders from turning green.

Note: Parsnip leaves contain a sap that may irritate the skin. When weeding around or harvesting parsnips, wearing long sleeves and gloves is recommended.

Aphids

Leaf Miners

Carrot Rust Flies

Parsnip Canker (all cultivars but 'Tender and True' are resistant to this)

Choose short-root varieties for soil that is shallow, heavy, and/or contains a lot of rocks.

'All-American': Tapered, 10- to 12-inch white roots; high sugar content; stores well

'Harris Model': Smooth, tapered, 10-inch white roots, free of side roots

'Hollow Crown': Mild, 12-inch white, fine-grain roots; flavor improves after frost

'Kral Russian': Heirloom; beet-shape root; good for shallow or heavy soil.

Parsnips require a long growing season. They are typically ready to harvest 16 weeds after planting, depending on the variety. Harvest when roots are at least 1 inch in diameter.

Leave your parsnips in the ground for a few frosts, but harvest before the ground freezes. When exposed to near-freezing temperatures for 2 to 4 weeks in the fall/early winter, the starch in the root changes into sugar, resulting in a strong, sweet, unique taste.

If you leave them in the ground for the winter, cover them with a thick layer of mulch and harvest immediately after the ground thaws in the spring, before top growth starts. If a flower stalk develops, roots may turn woody.

How to Store Parsnips

Before storing parsnips, trim foliage down to 2 to 3 inches. Store parsnips between 32 and 35°F (0 and 2°C), with a humidity of 90 to 95%. For longer-term storage (4 to 6 months), store roots in slightly damp sand, sawdust, or leaves

Soft words butter no parsnips, but they won't harden the heart of the cabbage either. -Irish proverb

Try roasting parsnips with carrots and potatoes.

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Parsnips, popular with ancient Greeks and Romans, were brought over to the Americas with the first colonists. Like carrots, parsnips are biennials, but they are usually grown as an annual vegetable. They taste best after being kissed by an autumn frost before harvest. Here's how to plant, grow, and harvest parsnips in your garden!

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https://www.westcoastseeds.com/blogs/how-to-grow/grow-cabbage#:~:text=Sow%20indoors%20beginning%20in%20late,germinate%20in%207%2D10%20days.

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Cabbage is another member of the Brassica family that is full of nutrients, including vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, as well as various antioxidants. The American Cancer Society strongly urges an increased intake of cabbage and other Brassicas in the diets of North Americans. Eating lots of cabbage may also protect the eyes from macular degeneration. To preserve its vitamins and mineral content, do not overcook cabbage. Store cut cabbage in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with holes in it and use as soon as possible. Cabbages are also highly ornamental in the garden - choose varieties for colour, deep-red, blue-green, dark-green or leaf texture, savoy (crinkled), or flat leaf. To learn How to Grow Cabbage follow the simple instructions below.

Latin
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Family: Brassicaceae

Difficulty
Moderately difficult

Season & Zone
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full-sun

Timing
Sow indoors beginning in late winter and transplant outdoors from 2 weeks after the last frost date to early summer. Overwintering cabbage is sown outdoors during July where winters are mild. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C (50-85°F). Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

Starting
When learning how to grow cabbage, sow 3 or 4 seeds per pot, 5mm (¼”) deep, under very bright light. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 60-90cm (24-36″) apart.

Days to Maturity
From transplant date.

Growing
Ideal pH: 6.5-7.0. Cabbage does best in humus-rich soil amended with composted manure. Mix ½ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. If growth slows, side dress with a little more balanced organic fertilizer. Heads of early varieties can split from over-maturity, rapid growth after heavy rain, or irrigation after dry spells. Splits can be delayed by twisting the plant or cultivating deeply next to plants in order to break roots and slow growth. Fall and winter varieties stand in the garden longer without splitting. If direct sown, add 20-25 days to the maturity date.

If cabbages won’t form heads, it may be from an imbalance of too much nitrogen in the soil in relation to phosphorus. Cabbages require cool temperatures to form heads well. Hot weather can interfere with the development of heads.

Harvest
Cabbage heads are ready when they’re firm to the touch, and when the interior is fairly dense. Heads will split when they’re allowed to overly mature. Rapid growth due to excess watering and fertility will also cause splitting of the head. Plant early, mid-season and late varieties to spread out your harvest. Late varieties tend to be better for storage or for making sauerkraut. Early (summer harvest) varieties tend not to store as well.

Seed Info
In optimum conditions at least 80% of seeds should germinate. Uual seed life: 3 years. Per 100′ row: 200 seeds, per acre: 44M seeds.

Diseases
Purple blotch (Alternaria porri) – Avoid wetting foliage if possible. Water early in the day so plant parts above the ground dry as quickly as possible. Allow for air circulation, and avoid crowding plants. Pull weeds around plants and garden area to increase air circulation. When plants are not wet, remove and destroy affected plant parts. In autumn rake and destroy all fallen or diseased leaves and fruit.
Clubroot – If soil infested, add lime to raise soil pH to 7.2. Practice strict crop rotation. If that is not possible, remove infested soil and replace with fresh soil. Purchase healthy transplants or start seed in sterile potting mix or fresh ground. Remove and discard or destroy entire infested plants along with immediately surrounding soil and soil clinging to roots.

Pests
Flea Beetles – Use row covers to help protect plants from early damage. Put in place at planting and remove before temperatures get too hot in mid-summer. Control weeds.
Cutworms – Control weeds. Cardboard collars around each plant give good protection.
Cabbage root maggot – White maggot larvae tunnel in and feed on roots of plants. Damage causes wilting early on, death of plants later on. Use row covers to help protect plants from early damage.
Cabbageworms – Handpick and destroy. Row covers may be useful on small plantings to help protect plants from early damage. Put in place at planting and remove before temperatures get too hot in midsummer.
Cabbage aphids – A hard stream of water can be used to remove aphids from plants. Wash off with water occasionally as needed early in the day. Check for evidence of natural enemies such as gray-brown or bloated parasitized aphids and the presence of alligator-like larvae of lady beetles and lacewings.

Companion Planting
All Brassicas benefit from chamomile, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage. Avoid planting near eggplants, peppers, potatoes, or tomatoes. These plants in the Solanum group thrive in slightly acidic soil, as does the fungus that causes clubroot.

More on Companion Planting.

Learn more About Cabbage.

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Eating lots of cabbage may also protect the eyes from macular degeneration. To preserve its vitamins and mineral content, do not overcook cabbage. Store cut cabbage in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with holes in it and use as soon as possible. Cabbages are also highly ornamental in the garden -…

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https://www.foodfirstnl.ca/rcr-archive/2011/05/growing-in-a-potato-box

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Thanks to the listing from Seeds of Diversity, I was able to locate a gentleman in Newfoundland who has a great deal of experience growing a wide variety of potatoes here. Last week, I received my set of samples from George, and here's what my benefactor told me about the varieties:

Red Dutch: A very dry, yellow flesh red from Holland in the 1940's. An excellent potato. Late maturing.

Northern White: A white flesh variety, from Quebec apparently, from the early 1900's. Very high yield. Good taste.

Black Minion: An old variety from Ireland from about 1810! This is a very, very dry potato and super taste. A very late variety.

Blue instar: My own seedling. A very tasty potato. Blue skin, white ring of flesh 15 mm under peel and then a blue/white instar to centre of tuber. Very, very quick cooking/boiling time.

My own seedling (from Ag. Canada materials): An all blue flesh. Long tuber. Excellent tasting blue flesh,from high anti-oxidant tested material. A super baker in the microwave! (Matt's Note: I think this will need a proper name - maybe George's Blue Wonder?)

Potatoes are part of the Nightshade family, as are tomatoes (fun fact: when these plants were brought back to Europe for the first time, people assumed they were poisonous because they physically resembled their cousin plant, Deadly Nightshade). An interesting attribute of most Nightshades is that they will grow additional roots if the plant's stem is buried. This is a great trick for making Tomato plants much stronger; there are small bumps on the lower part of the stem, and if you plant as deep as that, you'll end up with a stronger plant. Potatoes work in a similar fashion, except that you can keep burying them, as the part we want is going to come off the roots. So, all we need is a way to contain the soil and potatoes as the plant grows upward. Enter: The Potato Box!

The basic idea is to provide an enclosure around the potatoes, but we need to keep in mind that potatoes need sunlight to grow, so we can't just put up high walls around it right away. The trick is, to set up a kind of framework that we can attach layers to. For my Potato Box, I'll be using 2X2s on the inside corners, and building 1X6 boxes just big enough to go over the 2X2s. As the plant grows, I'll keep adding more soil, burying the potato plant up to its topmost leaves. Once I reach the top of a box, I'll slide down another box, and continue the process until the potatoes are mature.

You can find a fantastic guide to building a potato box here (it's the one I'll be using): VeggieGardener.com - How To Build a Potato Tower. I'll be posting updates here on the progress of this fun project, and if you decide to give it a try yourself, be sure to leave a comment!

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Thanks to the listing from Seeds of Diversity , I was able to locate a gentleman in Newfoundland who has a great deal of experience growing a wide variety of potatoes here.

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https://www.gardenguides.com/116191-plant-seed-potatoes-newfoundland.html

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flowering potato bush image by Alina Goncharova from Fotolia.com

Potatoes, a popular crop in Newfoundland, Canada, are easy to grow. Potatoes form on underground stems, swelling the ends to create tubers. Stems pop up through the soil. To prevent exposure to the sun, potatoes are commonly covered by hills of soil. Buy seed potatoes that are disease-free, follow a few precautions to avoid diseases, keep potatoes watered during droughts and you will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest. Several certified cultivars have been developed in Newfoundland to be resistant to potato pests and diseases.

Prepare the Bed

Prepare the potato bed by mixing in organic matter such as peat moss and a general purpose fertilizer (6-12-12) at 4.5 lbs. per 10 square meters.

Potatoes, a popular crop in Newfoundland, Canada, are easy to grow.

To prevent exposure to the sun, potatoes are commonly covered by hills of soil.

Dig the soil a foot or more to mix these in and keep it loose for the potatoes to grow evenly.

Rotate potato beds annually to prevent diseases. Plant one bed and allow the old one to lie fallow for a season or plant non-tuber vegetables in it.

Plant the Potatoes

Plant seed potatoes in Newfoundland and Labrador in late May or early June. Prevent disease by planting the seed potatoes whole. Buy egg-size potatoes for an ideal seed. Cut large tubers to egg size, ensuring each piece has at least two well-developed eyes. Dry them for several days before planting to prevent rot.

Dig the soil a foot or more to mix these in and keep it loose for the potatoes to grow evenly.

Dry them for several days before planting to prevent rot.

Dig a hole 4 inches deep, drop in the seed potato and cover with soil. Space them about 12 inches apart with 25 inches between rows.

When the potatoes are 6 inches high pile soil around the stems, creating a hill that will keep the tubers from being exposed to the sun.

Apply kelp or fish meal and a second feeding of fertilizer after the flowers have formed. Newfoundlanders have used fish as fertilizer for centuries to supply calcium and phosphorous to the soil and nitrogen as the fish decays.

Water potatoes, especially during flower formation and during any dry periods.

Avoid Problems

Inspect potatoes regularly for sunburn. Tubers exposed to sun will turn green because of a chemical reaction with the sun. This creates a bitter flavor and is poisonous to sensitive people. Keep potatoes covered with soil to provide shade.

Dig a hole 4 inches deep, drop in the seed potato and cover with soil.

Watch for problems such as the fungus potato scab, which creates a scabby surface on the skin.

Examine stems at ground level for the bacteria blackleg that blackens and rots them. Remove them immediately and don't plant potatoes in the same spot for two years.

Check for late blight, a fungus that attacks the potato leaves, turning them black with a gray fuzz on the undersides. Cut off and remove all affected foliage to keep it from spreading to the tubers. Destroy all stalks and old tubers at the end of every season.

Prevent canker, a fungus that produces warty skin growths, by buying certified resistant cultivars developed in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Watch for problems such as the fungus potato scab, which creates a scabby surface on the skin.

Check for late blight, a fungus that attacks the potato leaves, turning them black with a gray fuzz on the undersides.

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How to Plant Seed Potatoes in Newfoundland

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Potatoes, a popular crop in Newfoundland, Canada, are easy to grow. Potatoes form on underground stems, swelling the ends to create tubers. Stems pop up through the soil. To prevent exposure to the sun, potatoes are commonly covered by hills of soil. Buy seed potatoes that are disease-free, follow a few precautions ...

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https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284815

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Turnips are vegetables with a creamy white color and a purple top. People often group this popular European staple food with root vegetables, such as potato and beetroot. However, the turnip is actually a cousin of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, and kale.

Like other cruciferous vegetables, turnips provide plenty of nutrients and are low in calories.

Both the turnip and its leafy greens are tasty and nutritious. This article will mainly focus on the dietary benefits of the root, however.

In this article, learn more about the health benefits of turnips, their nutritional content, and some tips on how to include them in the diet.

Many researchers and health professionals believe that the nutrients in turnips offer a wide range of health benefits, such as:

Relieving intestinal problems

One cup of raw turnips weighing provides 2.34 g of fiber. Fiber helps reduce pressure and inflammation in the colon.

Specifically, high fiber diets are associated with a lower risk of intestinal problems, including diverticulitis.

Turnips and other high fiber foods can help reduce the prevalence of diverticulitis flares by absorbing water in the colon and making bowel movements easier. However, doctors do not always recommend a high fiber diet for people with diverticulitis. Talk to a doctor before eating high fiber foods.

In 2014, a large prospective study found that different types of fiber had different effects on a person's risk of diverticulitis. Overall, however, fiber reduced the risk.

That said, one found that a high fiber intake did not change a person's risk of diverticulitis if it is asymptomatic.

Further research will help clarify the benefits of fiber for preventing diverticulitis. People should speak to a doctor before significantly increasing their fiber intake.

Lowering blood pressure

According to a in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, foods containing dietary nitrates - such as turnips and collard greens - may provide multiple benefits for the health of the blood vessels.

These include reducing blood pressure and inhibiting the sticking together of platelets in the blood.

However, the long term risks of a high nitrate diet and its effect on cardiovascular health remain unclear.

In general, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has positive effects on blood pressure. They play a significant role in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's DASH diet, which medical experts have designed to bring down blood pressure.

Turnips also provide potassium, which may help lower blood pressure by releasing sodium from the body and helping arteries dilate.
Here, learn more about high blood pressure.
Reducing cancer risk

A high intake of cruciferous vegetables - including turnips, cauliflower, and cabbage - has associations with a lower risk of cancer.

These vegetables contain several compounds that may have protective effects against certain cancers. One of these is 3,3′-diindolylmethane, according to a 2016 review.

Foods containing a compound called sulforaphane could also potentially play an integral part in cancer treatment. Cruciferous vegetables contain high levels of sulforaphane.

A found that sulforaphane may interfere with the function of histone deacetylase, an enzyme that plays a role in the progression of cancer cells.

Aiding weight loss and digestion

Turnips and other cruciferous vegetables that are high in fiber help make people feel fuller for longer, and they are low in calories. Eating high fiber meals also helps keep blood sugar levels stable.

The fiber content in turnips may also prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract. Regular, adequate bowel movements are crucial for getting rid of toxins through the bile and stool.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture's FoodData Central database, one cup of raw turnip cubes contains around:

36.4 calories

1.17 g of protein

0.13 g of fat

8.36 g of carbohydrate, including 4.66 g of sugar

2.34 g of fiber

39 milligrams (mg) of calcium

0.39 mg of iron

14.3 mg of magnesium

35.1 mg of phosphorus

0.13 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K

87.1 mg of sodium

0.351 mg of zinc

27.3 mg of vitamin C

19.5 mcg of folate

When buying turnips, choose those that are small and heavy for their size.

Harvesting turnips while they are young and small will leave them with a sweet, mild flavor. As they continue to grow or age, the flavor becomes spicier, and the texture will become rough and woody.

Look for turnips with green tops that are brightly colored and fresh. People can use the greens for cooking or in salads.

Always store turnips in a cool, dim area, and wash, trim, and peel them before use.

Quick tips and recipe ideas

Turnips have a crisp, white inner flesh and a zesty, peppery flavor.

People can eat them raw or cooked. However, roasting turnips tends to bring out their best flavors and qualities.

Here are some easy ways to incorporate turnips into meals:

Boil and mash turnips for a tasty alternative to mashed potatoes.

Chop or shred raw turnips and use as a salad topper.

Add turnips to soup or stew at the same time as adding potatoes.

Include cubed turnip in a slow cooked roast.

Add shredded turnip to a favorite coleslaw recipe.

Registered dietitians have developed the following delicious turnip recipes:

roasted turnips with garden thyme

turnip chips

quick pickled turnips

Turnips can be a healthful addition to any balanced diet. Eating a varied diet is more healthful than concentrating on specific foods.

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Turnips: Health benefits, nutrition, and dietary tips

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Turnips are vegetables with a creamy white color and a purple top. People often group this popular European staple food with root vegetables, such as potato and beetroot. However, the turnip is actually a cousin of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, and kale. Like other cruciferous vegetables, turnips provide plenty of nutrients and are low in calories.

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https://www.almanac.com/plant/turnips

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Brassica rapa (Rapifera Group)

Turnips are cool-weather vegetables that can be grown both in spring and fall. They mature quickly and both the bright greens and roots can be enjoyed. Learn more about this ancient root vegetable-from planting to harvesting.

About Turnips

Turnips will grow in spring or fall weather, but do not like the hot summer months. (Note that an autumn crop seeded in late summer is usually sweeter and more tender than a spring crop, and pests are less of a problem.)

Turnips are seeded directly into the garden; they do not transplant well. Plus, they germinate in only a few days. Within a month, their greens are ready to harvest, and within a second month, the swollen roots are ready to be taken up.

Turnips can be eaten raw, baked, boiled, roasted, or mashed. Prepare turnips as you would carrots. Or, try them as an alternative to potatoes; we enjoy a turnip gratin.

Turnips grow best in full sun when temperatures range from 40° to 75°F. As soon as the garden can be worked, loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches. Mix in 2 to 4 inches of aged manure and/or compost. Add more to heavy, clay soil to improve drainage.

When to Plant Turnips

For a late spring harvest, sow turnip seeds about 2 to 3 weeks before the average last spring frost date.

For an autumn harvest, sow turnips in late summer after summer crops of onions, squash, beans, or sweet corn.

For a later autumn harvest, sow seeds in early autumn.

How to Plant Turnips

Before planting, mix in a nice low organic fertilizer (such as a 5-5-5) about 12 inches into the soil. Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen or you'll get leafy greens at the expense of a big root. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Sow seeds directly in the soil ¼ to ½ of an inch deep, 1 inch apart, in rows 12 to 18 inches apart.

You can also scatter turnip seed and thin later.

Cover seeds with not more than ½ an inch of soil.

Water well and consistently.

Protect spring crops from pests with row covers at planting.

Once seedlings are 4 inches high, thin them to 4 to 6 inches apart. Crowding can result in small or malformed roots. If you grow them any closer than 4 inches, they're not going to grow.

Keep the beds weed-free, but be careful of disturbing the root of young turnips.

Mulch heavily to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Turnips do not need much care, but consistent soil moisture is important. Water regularly to keep soil lightly moist, One inch per week should prevent roots from becoming tough and bitter.

How to Avoid Bolting

Turnips are hardy biennials, even though we treat them as annuals. They naturally flower and go to seed in the second year. In the first year, they sometimes may bolt (flower and and go to seed early) due to stress caused by extreme temperatures (cold or hot) or lack of nutrients or water. Such stresses can also result in little or no root growth, a root that forms above ground, or greens only.

Be sure to pick turnips before temperatures get into the 80s (F) to avoid bolting.

Many turnips are grown not for the root itself but for the turnip greens, which can be cooked or used raw in salads. Younger turnip greens will not be as bitter as mature leaves. If you are growing turnips primarily for their greens, most any turnip variety will do.

For roots, try these ...

'Gold Ball': yellow skin, soft, yellow flesh; harvest at 3 inches in diameter for maximum sweetness (will grow to 4 to 5 inches)

'Just Right': pure white roots, delicious greens; extremely cold-tolerant; stores well; not recommended for a spring crop, as it tends to bolt early

'Purple Top White Globe': delectable leaves; great for an extended production of greens; roots have purple shoulders; heirloom

'Golden Globe': roots with amber skin; firm, crisp, sweet flesh; tasty tops.

Harvest greens when turnips are small; the leaves taste best when young and tender. Cut leaves 2 inches above the base; they may grow back. Harvest jut a few at a time, if also growing for roots.

Harvest roots at any time; however, small, young turnips are more tender. Often early types are harvested after about 5 weeks. Main crop types after 6 to 10 weeks.

For fall turnips, consider harvesting after one or two light frosts (but before a hard freeze) for a sweeter taste.

Mulch to harvest later in the season and to protect from a hard freeze.

How to Store Turnips

Store for up to 3 or 4 months in a cool (32° to 38°F), dark place such as a root cellar or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

If storing in the refrigerator, keep turnips in a perforated plastic bag. It's important that the turnips do not dry out, but also that they do not become moldy from too much moisture.

To freeze: Peel, wash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, blanch for 3 minutes, cool immediately in cold water, and drain. Pack into containers, label, and freeze.

"Turnips like a dry bed but a wet head."

Turnips are often confused with rutabagas because they are similar, and people like to plant them together. The two root vegetables grow well under the same conditions, but rutabagas take about four weeks longer to mature.

In 19th-century Ireland, Halloween jack-o'-lanterns were carved from turnips, not pumpkins. Lit by a candle inside, the grotesque faces were intended to scare away demons and evil spirits.

Pest/Disease

Type

Symptoms

Control/Prevention

Aphids

Insect

Misshapen/yellow leaves; sticky "honeydew" (excrement); sooty, black mold

Grow companion plants; knock off with water spray; apply insecticidal soap; put banana or orange peels around plants; wipe leaves with a 1 to 2 percent solution of dish soap (no additives) and water every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks; add native plants to invite beneficial insects

Flea beetles

Insect

Numerous tiny holes in leaves

Use row covers; mulch heavily; add native plants to invite beneficial insects

Powdery mildew

Fungus

White spots on upper leaf surfaces expand to flour-like coating over entire leaves; foliage may yellow/die; distortion/stunting of leaves

Destroy infected leaves or plants; choose resistant varieties; plant in full sun, if possible; ensure good air circulation; spray plants with 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 quart water; destroy crop residue

If you're wondering how to cook turnips, you're not alone. Both the turnip greens and roots are very nutritious. Turnip roots should generally be peeled and sliced before using them. Both turnip roots and turnip greens are usually cooked, though they can be eaten raw if young and tender.

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Learn how to plant, grow, and harvest turnips with this garden guide from The Old Farmer's Almanac. Turnips are easy to grow root crops. See when to plant turnips, how look they take to grow, and the best way to grow turnips to a good size.

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