Turnip
What Plant Yet? knows about turnip, and where each number comes from. For today's answer, pick your town.
Planting numbers
- Frost category
- Hardy Source: Colorado State University Extension
- Plant outdoors
- 2–4 weeks before typical last frost Given for hardy crops as a group. Source: Colorado State University Extension
- Cover at or below
- 28°F Source: Oregon State University Extension
- Grows once daytime temperatures reach
- 40°F Given for hardy crops as a group. Source: Colorado State University Extension
- Days to harvest
- 50 Source: Colorado State University Extension
Left out because we found no university extension source for it: minimum night temperature. We don't estimate.
Growing tips
- Can be direct-seeded about four weeks before the last frost date. (Colorado State University Extension)
- Thin seedlings to three to six inches apart. (University of Minnesota Extension)
- Harvest at two to three inches across. (University of Minnesota Extension)
- Quality drops in hot weather or if roots get too large. (University of Minnesota Extension)
How the answer uses this
The planting window opens 2–4 weeks before typical last frost in your town and stays open while a planting still has 50 days to mature before the typical first fall frost. Inside the window the answer is Plant when the coldest of the next 7 nights stays above 28°F (no source gives a minimum night temperature, so the cold-damage temperature is used). Cover tonight shows when tonight's low is 28°F or colder while turnip is normally in the ground.
Sources
- Colorado State University Extension — checked Nov 11, 2026
- Oregon State University Extension — checked Nov 11, 2026
- Colorado State University Extension — checked Nov 11, 2026
- University of Minnesota Extension — checked Nov 11, 2026
Guidance only. Extension advice is written for typical conditions; your soil, variety and microclimate matter.