Small-root turnips
Brassicaceae · Direct sow · compact garden planning guide
| Bed spacing | 6 × 6 in (152.4 × 152.4 mm) |
|---|---|
| Minimum sun used | 5 hours per day |
| Root depth used | 250 mm (9.8 in) |
| Container volume used | 10 L |
| Spring preparation | -28 to -14 days from your last frost |
| Maturity estimate | 45–60 days from sowing |
Square-bed spacing, root-space and sun thresholds, spring offsets, germination check ranges, harvest occupancy and clearance days are selected planning settings. They are not universal cultivar rules or a guaranteed harvest schedule. Packet, nursery and local guidance take precedence.
Before planting
Grow spring or fall turnips, not rutabagas; steady moisture helps preserve root quality.
Establish
Thin early to marked positions and keep the surface open for seedlings.
Tend and harvest
Check root shoulders and remove weeds gently; do not strip leaves from plants kept for roots. Lift a sample at tender usable size, then harvest remaining roots before they become woody.
Plans using this crop
Fall planting · 5+ hours sun
Fall roots before the bed closes
Work backward from fall frost and reserve time to sample, lift and clear three root crops.
Short carrots · Small-root turnips · Small-root beets
Continuous sowing · 5+ hours sun
Turnips to summer chard
Finish a root crop completely before replacing it with repeat-cut leaves.
Small-root turnips · Swiss chard
Small containers · 5+ hours sun
Three small pots with sample-root checks
Thin separate root crops and sample each pot before deciding when to clear it.
Small round radishes · Small-root beets · Small-root turnips
No indoor seed starting · 5+ hours sun
Direct-sown fall restart after missed spring
Start a new cool-season plan from seed when the spring planting window has already passed.
Arugula for young leaves · Small-root turnips · Compact pak choi
References
- UMN Extension: Growing turnips and rutabagas
Turnips suit spring or fall; thin seedlings and harvest tender roots. Heat, oversized roots and water stress can reduce quality. Our 6-inch cells are for small-root turnips, not rutabagas.
- UMD Extension: Growing vegetables in containers and salad tables
Sun exposure, drainage, growing media and crop-specific minimum volumes; our thresholds are conservative planning settings.
- UMN Extension: Planting the vegetable garden
Cool and warm season establishment; weather and soil readiness matter. Minnesota month dates are not used as global dates.
- UMN Extension: Planting for fall harvest
Maturity is a cultivar-dependent estimate; our extra 14-day fall buffer is an explicit planning assumption.
Updated 2026-10-13. We have not field-tested the plan in your climate.