Content
- 1 What is turnip and what does it look like?
- 2 Beneficial properties of turnip root vegetable
- 3 Turnip taste
- 4 Turnip varieties
- 5 Planting turnip seedlings
- 6 How to plant turnips in open ground
- 7 Growing and caring for turnips in open ground
- 8 Turnip yield
- 9 Turnip harvesting and storage
- 10 Propagation of fodder turnips
- 11 Conclusion
- 12 Turnip reviews
Turnip is a herbaceous plant that grows only in cultivation and is not found in the wild. The crop is cultivated almost all over the world. In Russia, turnips were grown for livestock feed for a long time. As a result of selection, table varieties with excellent gastronomic taste appeared. In addition, the culture has a rich nutritional composition.
What is turnip and what does it look like?
Turnip is a vegetable crop from the Cruciferous family, a close relative of turnips and rutabaga, has another name - fodder turnip. Biennial plant. The root crop is formed mainly due to the subcotyledon than due to the root. It has a round or cone 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, elongated-oval, dissected, with entire or serrated edges. A characteristic feature of the culture is the pubescence of the leaves. In table varieties there are leaves with a smooth surface. 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 day plant. The culture is cold-resistant, seedlings can withstand frosts down to -5°C. Seeds are able to germinate at a temperature of +2°C. The optimal temperature for the development of root crops is +15°C.
To grow a vegetable crop, a sum of active temperatures in the range of 1800-2000°C is required.
Beneficial properties of turnip root vegetable
Turnips contain a large amount of vitamin C. The daily requirement is met by eating two medium-sized root vegetables per day. Turnips also contain various minerals, trace elements and amino acids. The vegetable is a dietary product. It is included in the menu of low-calorie diets, which are used in the treatment of obesity, diabetes and gout.
Other beneficial properties of turnip:
- increases appetite;
- has bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties;
- thins the blood;
- strengthens blood vessels;
- calms the nervous system;
- increases immunity.
Gastrointestinal diseases are contraindications for use. Eating turnip in large quantities is not recommended for everyone, because it causes bloating and general weakness.
Decoctions of different parts of turnip are used in folk medicine. In cosmetology it is used as a component of toning masks.
Turnip taste
The taste of the vegetable is juicy, sweet, with a characteristic pungency reminiscent of radishes. In turnips, both roots and tops are edible, which are consumed fresh, as well as after various culinary treatments. The leaves have a mustard taste. Small root vegetables are more tasty than large forage turnips
Excessive bitterness is removed from the root vegetable by dipping it in boiling water. In different countries, turnips are used in salads, baked, and prepared in soups. Pickled in the Middle East and Italy. Fermented in Korea to make the spicy dish kimchi. In Japan, it is fried with salt and also used as an ingredient to make misoshiru.
Turnip varieties
Turnip varieties are divided according to the color of the root pulp. The pulp is white meat or yellow meat.
Below are the varieties of turnips that can be found on sale in Russia.
Moscow – early ripening variety, ripening time from germination to ripeness – 50-60 days. Root vegetables are round in shape 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 root crops of an elongated cone shape. The color of the peel is purple at the top and white at the bottom.
Different types of turnips are more suitable for growing in regions with temperate and cold climates. In the southern regions, crops are more often damaged by pests.
There are other well-known varieties.
Purple turnip.
Golden Ball.
Snowball.
Green ball.
Japanese.
White.
Amber ball.
About 30 varieties of fodder turnips are grown in different parts of the world.
Planting turnip seedlings
To obtain an earlier harvest, turnips can be planted with pre-grown seedlings. But the plant does not tolerate picking well. Therefore, the seedling method is applicable only for small planting volumes. The method of growing turnips through seedlings is more labor-intensive, but makes it possible to protect the seedlings from the cruciferous flea beetle.
When to sow turnips for seedlings
Seeds for seedlings begin to be sown 1.5 months before planting in open ground. Sowing time is calculated from the date after which frost-free weather sets in in the growing region, including at night.
Preparing soil and seeds
Seeds are inspected before sowing, spoiled ones are removed, and pre-sowing preparation is carried out for the rest.
Preparing seeds for sowing:
- Seeds are checked for completeness. To do this, they are lowered into water, the hollow seeds float to the surface, they are collected and thrown away.
- To eliminate 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 fertile, loose and with neutral acidity. For ease of further replanting, seeds are grown in peat cups or tablets. Peat tablets contain a ready-made substrate for planting.
Sowing
Due to poor transplantability, turnips 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.Thus, the root system of the 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 placed in one container. Plant to a depth of 2-2.5 cm. For better contact of the seeds with the ground, the soil is lightly pressed after planting.
Seedling care
Planting containers are placed on the windowsill. If the window is cold, then place a warm layer under the containers. You can grow seedlings in a heated greenhouse at a temperature of +5... +15°C. Care consists of regular watering.
After thinning
After the sprouts have several true leaves, 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. Seedlings should not be pulled out so as not to damage the remaining specimen.
How to plant turnips in open ground
Most often, vegetable crops are planted by direct sowing into the ground in early spring. Winter sowing is not used. Given the early sowing, the bed needs to be prepared in the fall. Depending on the initial fertility of the soil, fertilizers are added and dug.
Heavily acidified soils are limed. A ridge after growing beans, cucumbers or onions is suitable for growing turnips. It is completely freed from plant residues and weeds. The bed should be loose and light, so when preparing for winter it is covered with mulch or protective non-woven material.
Landing dates
Turnips are one of the most cold-resistant root vegetables. By direct sowing in open ground, the crop is planted in late April - early May, depending on the climate of the region.Although mature plants can withstand temperatures down to -6°C, a prolonged cold spring can cause flowering in the first year of cultivation.
Preparing the landing site
Turnips are one of the most moisture-loving root crops. Therefore, it is suitable for planting in lowlands that are better supplied with moisture. Turnip is a long-day plant. For high-quality development, it needs 12 hours of lighting per day.
It is best to grow the crop on light soils; heavy soils are unsuitable. The soil acidity is preferably weak - pH 6.0...6.5, but plants can withstand greater acidification. Areas with a strong wireworm infestation are not suitable.
Loams and soils rich in organic matter are suitable for growing turnips; sandy soils are least suitable. Before planting, the bed is well loosened and leveled.
Landing rules
The technology for cultivating turnips is simple, similar to the cultivation of closely related crops - rutabaga and turnips. When growing turnips, crop rotation is observed.
In particular, it is necessary to take into account the previous sowing of the beds with green manures belonging to the same family - oilseed radish and rapeseed, which have common diseases and pests. After turnips (forage turnips), it is favorable to grow crops from other families.
Seeds
To ensure uniformity of sowing, granulated superphosphate can be added to the seeds. The seeds are sown in a two-line method, keeping a distance of 50 cm between the rows. Dense sprouts are thinned out until the formation of 3 true leaves.After thinning, gaps of 20 cm 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 return frosts has passed. Before transplanting to a permanent growing site, the plants are hardened off, gradually increasing the time spent in outdoor conditions.
A hole for planting turnip seedlings is dug to a depth of 5-6 cm. The roots are dipped in clay mash. The plant is lowered into the hole and pressed lightly. Water and shade for the first time.
Growing and caring for turnips in open ground
Turnips are planted twice during the spring-summer period. In early spring after the soil thaws and in August. To grow turnips, a sufficient feeding area is required.
Seed germination is high. Growing and caring for turnips includes:
- weeding;
- thinning of seedlings;
- loosening row spacing;
- fertilizing and watering.
Watering and fertilizing
Water turnips regularly so that the soil under the root crops does not dry out or crack. The crop especially needs moisture during the formation of root crops. Due to lack of moisture, the taste of turnips becomes bitter and the flesh becomes hard. If there is too much watering, the internal structure becomes watery. The drip irrigation method works well.
Organic fertilizers are used in the form of infusions of slurry or chicken droppings. Towards mid-summer, superphosphate is added, which increases the sweetness of the fruit. An infusion of wood ash provides good nutrition for the crop.
Weeding and loosening
The vegetable bed must be free of weeds, which take away nutrients and moisture.Weeding is necessary on average 4-5 times per season. Simultaneously with weeding, the row spacing is loosened.
Mulching
Mulch the plantings with mowed grass, adding a layer of about 1 cm. Mulch allows you to reduce the temperature of the soil and 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. When the top of the root crop is severely exposed, the beneficial substances are partially lost.
Protection from diseases and pests
Turnips from the Cruciferous family are susceptible to attack by the cruciferous flea beetle, especially in dry and hot weather. Insects eat 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. Identified by the appearance of cotton-like white mycelium on the affected areas.
Downy mildew or downy mildew occurs when there are sharp changes in day and night temperatures and prolonged rains. When infected, blurry spots of various shades appear on young leaves, and a grayish coating appears on their underside.
Fungal infections occur more often on acidified 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 cool and rainy summers it shows higher yields than in hot and dry ones. Yields are also affected by the availability of nutrients in the soil.
Turnip varieties with elongated root crops are more productive than round ones, just as those with white pulp are more productive than those with yellow pulp. Depending on the growing conditions and variety, the yield ranges from 4 to 8 kg per square meter. m.
Turnip harvesting and storage
The ripening period of turnips is from 1.5 to 3 months, depending on the variety. The time for 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 from 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 the fall, fodder turnips begin to be removed from the garden before frost. Frozen root vegetables cannot be stored for long.
Vegetables are removed from the soil by hand without digging and cleaned from the soil. Root crops must be dried before harvesting. In good weather, after digging, they are left in the garden bed or placed under a ventilated canopy. The tops are cut off, leaving a stump of several centimeters. The leaves are used as animal feed or composted.
Healthy specimens without damage are stored for storage. It is best to store turnips in a hard container, but do not put them together with other types of root vegetables. Store vegetables in cool rooms, refrigerators or balconies at a temperature of 0... +2°C. Root crops are suitable for storage in piles and trenches with a layer of sand or soil. When properly stored, turnips remain unchanged until the next harvest.
Propagation of fodder turnips
Turnip or fodder turnip is a biennial plant. In the first year it forms root crops, and seeds appear in the second year.For propagation, in the first year of cultivation, the uterine root crop is selected and stored in the same way as vegetables for food, but separately.
The following year, the mother plant is planted in open ground. Fertile, loose soils are chosen for cultivation. The mother root crop is planted as soon as the soil is ready, when it warms up and the lumps stop sticking together. After 3 months, the plant throws out peduncles, on which yellow four-petalled flowers, characteristic of the Cruciferous family, appear. The seeds ripen in fruits - long pods. The seeds are collected as they ripen, which is uneven in the plant.
The seeds of the crop are small, oval-round in shape, brown-red or black in color. The testes are cut off until they fall off and dried, laid out in a thin layer in a well-ventilated place. The collected seeds are stored in fabric bags or in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Conclusion
Turnip is a healthy, dietary vegetable. The root vegetable is suitable for those who care about their health and prefer healthy foods. The increased content of vitamin C and phytoncides allows the vegetable to be used to support immunity. Simply planting turnips and caring for them in open ground allows even a novice gardener to grow them.
