Turnip Purple Top White Globe ( Brassica rapa ) is an heirloom variety from the 18th century, that is usually grown as an annual. It is certainly an Australian vegetable garden favourite, with its fabulous flavour and beautiful fuchsia-purple-coloured tops. The tops (greens) are also edible and best if harvested young; they can be eaten raw; cooked like kale and spinach or added to stir fries.
Turnips are often overlooked in regard to their nutritional benefits but they definitely shouldn’t be. Turnips are jam packed with so many essential vitamins & minerals including omega 3 fatty acids and protein; that it is more a question of ‘What’s not in it’? They also have lots of health benefits that make them worthy of your dinner plate.
Growth
Turnip Purple Tops are a biennial plant, which means they live for 2 years; seeding in the second year. Most people grow them as an annual for harvesting, so they rarely get to seed. All Brassica’s will cross pollinate with each other so it can be pointless leaving them to seeds if you have more than one Brassica species in your garden (Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cauliflower etc).
This variety is best harvested for flavour when it gets 5-8 cm’s wide, but they can get as large as 15 cm’s! The plant including its green tops can get to 30-40 cm’s tall, the part of the turnip above the ground is purple and the other half under the ground is white. Turnips can be grown in containers / pots.
We always recommend growing your food organically, so when fertilising or trying to keep pests under control, keep in mind that there are always organic options. Your body and family will thank you!
See germination instructions in the tab below for further details.
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Brassicaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold to Sub-Tropical. Can be grown in Tropical regions but they may not develop as well.
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
4 to 26°C / 40 to 78°F
SOIL TYPE:
Well-draining, compost rich soils.
LOCATION:
Full sun, will tolerate some shade, especially in hotter climates.
HEIGHT:
Up to 40 cm’s (16 inches)
WIDTH:
Up to 40 cm’s (16 inches)
pH:
6.0-6.7
GROWTH TYPE:
Biennial – Generally grown as an annual
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Medium
POLLINATION:
Pollinated by Bees
MATURITY:
Average 45-60 days
GERMINATION RATES:
91%
GERMINATION TIME:
7-14 days
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Easy
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 480
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
Yes
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
EDIBLE:
Yes
SEED STORGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 4 years.
FACTS ABOUT BRASSICA RAPA (Turnip)
Turnips were an important food crop as early as ancient Roman times; before Christ (BC).
For Jack O’Lanterns, the Irish Carved Turnips, it wasn’t until migration to America that they started to use pumpkins because they were more readily available.
