Growing Turnips in Arizona: Plant, Harvest and Eat Roots and Greens

Turnips might be the most underrated crop in the Arizona fall garden. They grow fast, they shrug off our chilly winter nights, and you get two harvests from every plant: crisp, sweet roots and a big pile of leafy greens. A young turnip pulled from your own bed in November is a completely different vegetable. It is mild, juicy, a little peppery, and sweet enough that I eat them raw like an apple.

Below I walk through when to plant in the low desert and the high country, which varieties are worth growing, soil prep, watering, thinning (the step most people skip), pests, how to harvest both roots and greens, and a few of my favorite ways to cook them once the harvest starts rolling in.

Why Turnips Love an Arizona Fall

Turnips (Brassica rapa) are cousins of bok choy, mustard, and napa cabbage, and they share that family love of cool weather. They germinate quickly in warm soil, grow happily when days are in the 60s and 70s, and actually get sweeter after a few cold nights because the plant converts starches into sugars as protection against frost.

Heat is where turnips struggle. When they mature in hot weather, the roots turn tough, stringy, and sharp, and the plants want to bolt and flower. That is why timing matters so much here. In the low desert we plant them into the tail end of warm weather so they size up during our mild fall and winter. In the high country we tuck them into spring and late summer windows that dodge both deep cold and summer heat.

The other big selling point is speed. Many turnip varieties are ready in roughly 40 to 60 days, and baby greens can be cut in about a month. If you have been watching your radishes come up (our guide to radishes in Arizona is here: https://www.greenthumbhobbies.com/post/radishes-arizona), turnips are the natural next step. They are only a little slower and give you a lot more food per square foot.

When to Plant: Low Desert vs. High Country

Low desert (Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and other areas under about 3,000 feet). Turnips are a fall and winter crop. Direct sow from about late September through February. Plantings made later in winter will grow more slowly but tend to be the sweetest.

Mid elevations (Prescott, Payson, Sierra Vista, and similar areas around 3,000 to 5,500 feet). You can usually get both a spring and a fall crop. Sow in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, and again in late summer so roots mature in the cool weeks of fall.

High country (Flagstaff, the White Mountains, and areas above about 6,000 feet). Treat turnips as a spring and late summer crop. Sow in spring after the hardest freezes, and again in mid to late summer for a fall harvest. Turnips handle light frost well, so they are one of the last things still producing in a high-elevation garden.

A good rule of thumb anywhere in Arizona: you want the last few weeks before harvest to happen in cool weather. Count back from your expected heat or hard freeze and plant accordingly.

Turnip Varieties Worth Growing

There are a lot of turnips out there, and they are not all the same. Here are the ones I keep coming back to.

• Purple Top White Globe. The classic. White roots with purple shoulders, ready in around 50 to 60 days. Best harvested at 2 to 3 inches across. Great all-purpose turnip for roasting and mashing.

• Hakurei (and other Japanese salad turnips like Tokyo types). Smooth, pure white, and so mild and sweet that they are wonderful raw. They are fast, often 35 to 45 days, and the greens are tender and hairless. If you only grow one turnip, make it a salad turnip.

• Golden Ball. A yellow-fleshed heirloom with a buttery, slightly nutty flavor. Pretty in a roasting pan.

• Seven Top and other greens types. Grown for leaves instead of roots. If your family loves cooked greens, a short row of these is worth it.

Prepping the Bed

Turnips are root crops, so loose soil makes a huge difference. Compacted, rocky, or clay-heavy native soil leads to stubby, misshapen roots. A raised bed or a well-amended in-ground row works best.

Before sowing, loosen the soil 8 to 12 inches deep and mix in 2 to 3 inches of finished compost. Arizona soils tend to be alkaline and low in organic matter, and compost helps with both drainage and nutrient holding. A modest dose of a balanced organic vegetable fertilizer at planting is plenty. Go easy on high-nitrogen fertilizers. Too much nitrogen pushes gorgeous leaves at the expense of the roots.

Pick a spot with at least 6 hours of direct winter sun; early fall sowings appreciate a little late-afternoon shade.

Sowing and Thinning

Sow turnip seeds about a quarter to a half inch deep, roughly an inch apart, in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. In a raised bed you can broadcast them in blocks. Firm the soil gently and water with a soft spray so the seeds do not wash away. In warm fall soil, seedlings often pop up in just a few days.

Now the step everyone skips: thinning. Turnips need room to swell. When seedlings have their first true leaves, thin them to about 2 inches apart. A couple of weeks later, thin again to 4 to 6 inches apart for full-size roots (salad turnips can stay a bit closer, about 3 to 4 inches). Do not throw those thinnings out. They are tender baby greens and are perfect tossed into a salad or a quick stir-fry.

Watering for Sweet, Tender Roots

Consistent moisture is the secret to good turnips. Roots that go through dry spells followed by heavy soakings can crack, and drought-stressed turnips turn pithy and hot-tasting. Aim to keep the top few inches of soil evenly moist, like a wrung-out sponge.

In the low desert in early fall, that might mean watering every day or two while seedlings establish. As weather cools, you can stretch it to every two to four days, depending on your soil and whether it rained. Drip lines or soaker hoses under a layer of mulch are ideal.

Once seedlings are a few inches tall, add an inch or two of mulch such as straw or shredded leaves. Mulch keeps the soil temperature steady, slows evaporation, and helps prevent that hard crust that forms on bare desert soil.

Pests and Problems

Turnips are pretty easy, but they are brassicas, and brassicas have fans.

• Flea beetles. Tiny jumping beetles that chew lots of small holes in young leaves. They are worst in warm weather. A lightweight row cover over the bed right after sowing is the best defense. If you need a frame for it, our DIY row cover hoops project is here: https://www.greenthumbhobbies.com/post/diy-row-cover-hoops

• Aphids. Clusters of soft insects on the undersides of leaves, especially in late winter. A strong spray of water knocks them off, and insecticidal soap helps with bigger outbreaks.

• Cabbage loopers and imported cabbageworms. Green caterpillars that chew holes in leaves. Hand-pick them, or use a product with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which targets caterpillars.

• Bolting. If plants send up a flower stalk, it usually means they got too warm or stayed in the ground too long. Harvest what you can and replant in the next cool window.

Harvesting Roots and Greens

Here is the fun part: you can harvest turnip greens and roots from the same plants, as long as you do not get greedy.

Greens. Start picking outer leaves when they are 4 to 6 inches long. Take only a few leaves from each plant at a time, leaving the center growing, so the root still has enough leaf power to keep sizing up. If you are growing a greens variety, you can cut more aggressively.

Roots. Most turnips are at their best when they are small. Pull salad turnips at 1 to 2 inches across and globe types at 2 to 3 inches. Bigger is not better here. Oversized turnips get woody and strong. Check a few by brushing back the soil at the top of the root. When they look right, grab the base of the leaves and pull, or loosen them with a garden fork if your soil is heavy.

Storing Your Harvest

Cut the greens off the roots as soon as you harvest, leaving about half an inch of stem. If you leave the leaves attached, they keep pulling moisture out of the root and it goes soft faster.

Store roots unwashed in a plastic bag or container in the fridge, where they keep for a few weeks. Greens are more delicate. Wrap them in a damp towel inside a bag and use them within a few days.

How to Eat Turnips (Roots and Greens)

If you think you do not like turnips, try them one of these ways before you give up.

• Raw salad turnips. Slice Hakurei-type turnips thin, toss with a little olive oil, lemon, flaky salt, and black pepper. They are crunchy and sweet, like a cross between a radish and an apple.

• Roasted. Cut globe turnips into wedges, toss with oil, salt, and a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary, and roast at 425 degrees until golden at the edges. Roasting brings out their sweetness. They are great mixed with carrots and beets. Our Arizona carrot and beet guides are at https://www.greenthumbhobbies.com/post/carrots-arizona and https://www.greenthumbhobbies.com/post/beets-arizona

• Glazed. Simmer small whole turnips in a pan with a little butter, a spoonful of honey, and enough water to come halfway up. Cook uncovered until the water evaporates and the turnips get a shiny glaze.

• Sauteed greens. Cook chopped turnip greens with garlic and olive oil until tender, then finish with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of chile flakes.

• Pickled. Thin-sliced turnips in a quick brine with a slice of beet turns them pink and tangy. This is the classic Middle Eastern pickle you find next to falafel.

If you are growing other greens this season, turnip greens mix nicely with kale and Swiss chard in the same pan. Our kale growing guide is here: https://www.greenthumbhobbies.com/post/kale-arizona

My Turnip Game Plan for This Season

If you want a simple plan, here is what I would do in the low desert right now. Clear a 4-by-4-foot section of a raised bed and work in compost. Sow half the space with a salad turnip like Hakurei and half with Purple Top White Globe. Cover with row cover, water every day until they sprout, then every few days. Thin twice. Start nibbling greens at about four weeks, pull the first salad turnips at five or six weeks, and sow another small patch every few weeks through February.

That little patch will give you salads, side dishes, and greens all winter for the price of a seed packet or two. Turnips are cheap, fast, forgiving, and honestly pretty delicious when you grow them yourself. Give them a spot this fall and let me know how your first harvest turns out.