When to plant Turnip in Cool Australia

Cool zone — applies to Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Armidale and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Turnips can be sown direct in any month of the year in the cool zone — one of the very few crops with a genuinely year-round window. That said, the finest roots come from late summer and autumn sowings that mature in cool weather, and from early spring batches sown before any real heat. Seed planted 10 mm deep is up within 6–12 days, and quick varieties are ready in as little as 50 days, with 90 the outside figure. Sow little and often rather than one big row; a fortnightly pinch of seed keeps tender roots coming.

Sowing calendar — cool zone

Green months are your sowing window: January to December.

Growing notes

A twelve-month window sounds like turnips are indifferent to timing, but in the cool zone the calendar still shapes the result. The standout sowings are late summer and autumn — February to April roots mature in cooling weather and gain sweetness from the first frosts of a Canberra or Armidale autumn — plus early spring, before summer arrives. Midsummer sowings are the weakest; even a mild cool-zone January can push turnips to bolt or turn hot-flavoured, so give those batches afternoon shade or simply skip the hottest fortnight.

Winter sowings genuinely work here, unlike with most vegetables. Seed in cold soil takes longer than the usual 6–12 days to emerge, but hardy turnips keep growing slowly through frost and deliver very early spring roots when little else is ready.

Speed is the whole point of the crop, so grow them fast. Any check — dry spells, crowded rows, exhausted soil — produces the woody, fibrous roots that put people off turnips for life. Sow 10 mm deep, thin ruthlessly to 7–15 cm in rows 20–40 cm apart (eat the thinnings as greens), keep watering absolutely even, and harvest at golf-to-tennis-ball size rather than waiting for something bigger. A 50–60 day turnip is dinner; a 90-day one left too long is often stock feed.

Turnip at a glance

Common questions

When can I plant turnips in a cool climate?

Any month of the year — turnips have a year-round sowing window in the cool zone. Late summer and autumn sowings produce the sweetest roots, maturing in cool weather and improved by frost.

Why are my turnips woody and bitter?

Woody roots come from slow, checked growth — usually dry spells, overcrowding or leaving them in the ground too long. Water evenly, thin to 7–15 cm, and harvest young at golf-to-tennis-ball size.

How long do turnips take to grow?

Between 50 and 90 days depending on variety and season, with germination in 6–12 days. Quick varieties sown in mild weather are at the fast end of that range.

Can I grow turnips through winter in Canberra?

Yes. Germination is slower in cold soil, but turnips are hardy and keep growing through frost, giving early spring roots when little else is coming out of the garden.

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