Root Vegetable

When to Plant Turnips

A fast-growing, cold-hardy root crop that's underappreciated. Both the root and the greens are delicious.

Sun

Full sun (6-8 hours)

Water

1 inch per week

Days to Harvest

40-60

Difficulty

beginner

Spacing

Frost Tolerance

high

The Short Answer

Turnips are best direct sown when soil temperature reaches at least 40°F. Plant 3 weeks before your average last frost date. Turnips can also be planted in fall, 8 weeks before your first frost. Enter your zip code on our homepage tool for exact dates.

How to Grow Turnips

Turnips are the forgotten root vegetable that deserves a comeback. Both the roots and the greens are edible and nutritious — turnip greens are a staple of Southern cooking. Hakurei Japanese salad turnips mature in 30-35 days and are sweet enough to eat raw like apples. Traditional purple-top turnips take 45-60 days and are better cooked. Succession plant every 3 weeks for continuous harvest. Fall-planted turnips sweetened by frost are dramatically better than summer turnips — the cold converts starches to sugars.

Direct Sowing

Turnips can be direct sown 3 weeks before your last frost date. Plant seeds 0.5" deep, spaced 4" apart.

Fall Planting

Turnips are planted in fall, 8 weeks before your average first frost date. Plant 0.5" deep, 4" apart.

Growing Tips

Great for spring and fall planting. Harvest small for tender roots. Fall-planted turnips taste sweeter after a frost.

Companion Planting

Good companions:

Peas Onions

Turnips Planting Dates by State

Click your state for turnips planting dates specific to your location:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Note: Planting dates are based on average frost dates from NOAA Climate Normals (30-year averages). Actual conditions vary year to year. Always check your local forecast before planting frost-sensitive crops.

Last reviewed: March 29, 2026