Growing Turnips In Beds, Turnip Varieties

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Varieties and features of agricultural technology that was once the most common culture in Russia

What's easier than a steamed turnip? Growing her!

Since the times of Peter the Great, potatoes have become the second bread in our country. But this is a very short period of time, only three centuries. And what did they eat in Russia before? Have you thought about this question? And somehow I thought. And it turned out that the second bread before the emergence of potatoes was a common turnip.

It was eaten raw, steamed, and fried, and salted, and stewed. They fermented it like cabbage. Turnips are very nutritious. The fleshy roots contain sugars, mineral salts, vitamins. The mustard oil contained in the pulp gives the turnip a specific smell and pungent taste.

Nutrition and the presence of vitamins are valuable qualities, so turnip deserves the closest attention of gardeners. By the way, turnips and leaves are edible. It is known that in the old days Russians and Finns fermented turnip leaves to make sour cabbage soup. And now in many countries its leaves are used in salads.

Unfortunately, the turnip has practically disappeared from our summer cottages. In my co-op, aiming to find a site where the turnip would grow, I walked around several streets, but never found this plant. It's a pity…

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It should be said that turnip is a very unpretentious culture. It grows and yields a good harvest on almost all soils, although it works best, of course, on fertile ones: sandy loam and loamy, where the roots are especially tasty and sweet. Turnip does not like acidic soils, so the bed for it must be deoxidized one to two weeks before sowing with lime, chalk, dolomite flour or wood ash (up to 100-150 g / m²).

Turnip is hygrophilous and does not require heat. It is the most cold-resistant vegetable plant. Seedlings can withstand frosts down to -3 … -6 ° C. But if the weather is cool (0-10 °) during the formation of the root crop, then many plants may prematurely discard the seed arrow, in this case there is no need to wait for root crops.

Turnips have long roots, so the soil must be worked deeply. Its best predecessors on the garden bed are cucumber, zucchini, tomato and legumes. A particularly good harvest of root crops is obtained if manure was applied to the site two years before sowing the turnip. It is impossible to bring fresh manure directly under the turnip - this leads to hollowness, ugliness of root crops, sharply reduces its keeping quality.

Turnip reacts well to the introduction of mineral fertilizers, especially potash. She also needs table salt in micro doses (4-6 g / m²) for the accumulation of sugars in the root crop, which improve its taste. Lime and boric fertilizers help fight keel.

To obtain an early harvest, turnip seeds are sown in our conditions in early May, as soon as the snow melts and the soil dries up. In the fall, the site must be dug up, ridges must be formed, which in the spring must be tweaked, deeply loosened and raked. On soils poor in nutrients, before spring loosening, it is necessary to apply 150-200 g of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers and 300-350 g of superphosphate per 10 m². The sowing pattern is horizontal with a row spacing of 20 cm. Seeds should be planted to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. In order not to form a soil crust, it is advisable to mulch the crops.

After the emergence of seedlings, caring for crops is reduced to pest control, watering, loosening, weeding and thinning. The first thinning is carried out in the phase of formation of 2-3 true leaves in the plant, the second - after 10-20 days, at a distance of 8-10 cm. Late thinning and weeding greatly reduce the yield and its quality.

During the period of emergence and regrowth of large leaves at high air temperatures, crops of turnips "attack" cruciferous fleas, and if they are not dealt with, they will destroy the crops in a week. To protect young plants from fleas, seedlings should be periodically sprinkled with ash or a mixture of ash and tobacco dust in equal proportions. It is possible to protect turnip crops with covering material for the period of germination and regrowth.

For winter storage, turnips are sown in late June - early July and the resulting crop is harvested in late September. Turnips can be harvested selectively, as needed, but harvesting must be completed before the onset of stable frosts (3-5 ° C). Its leaves are cut off, leaving small petioles (up to 1 cm). Do not leave root vegetables intended for long-term storage in the sun, otherwise they will wither and will be poorly stored.

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The varietal composition of turnips, unfortunately, is not great. The most widespread is the old variety Petrovskaya 1 with a flat or round-flat root crop. The variety is mid-season (from sowing to harvesting 75-80 days) and medium-yielding. For its excellent taste, it is still held in high esteem by gardeners.

The varieties Mayskaya yellow and Milanskaya white are the earliest (60 days), but they are not suitable for winter storage.

A new variety of lettuce turnip Geisha has recently been introduced. It is distinguished by a high quality root crop, does not accumulate nitrates, and can grow in open and protected ground in the early spring and autumn periods. The pulp of root vegetables is juicy and dense. Turnip is used in food fresh, fried, boiled. Stuffed turnip is also tasty.

Last year, I planted an early purple turnip. I was satisfied with it. The variety is early ripe (50-60 days) The root crop is round, white with a purple top, 8-12 cm in diameter. The pulp is snow-white, juicy, dense, tender. The average weight of the root crop is 65-90 (up to 120) g. The value of the variety: harmonious yield of the crop, uniformity of root crops, high taste. The variety is early maturing, but keeps well, almost until spring.