When to plant Turnip in Subtropical Australia

Subtropical zone — applies to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Tropical · Arid.

Turnips are quick and forgiving, and in the subtropics you can sow the seed direct across most of the year — January to May and August through December — dodging only the deepest humid summer. These hardy roots grow fast and taste best when they mature in cool weather, so autumn and winter sowings around Brisbane and the Gold Coast give the sweetest, most tender results. Germination is rapid at 6 to 12 days, and you can be pulling roots in as little as 50 to 90 days. Sow at 10mm where the plants will grow and thin early, as crowded turnips run to leaf and never bulk up.

Sowing calendar — subtropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: August to May.

Growing notes

Turnip's speed is its great advantage in the subtropics, but timing still shapes the crop. Autumn and winter sowings mature in cool, drier conditions and produce sweet, crisp roots; the January and late-spring sowings run the risk of maturing into heat and humidity, where roots turn woody, split or bolt to seed before they bulb. If you sow in the warmer months, choose fast, and pick young while the roots are still tender.

Give them an open, sunny bed with fertile, free-draining soil and steady moisture — erratic watering is the direct cause of split and pithy roots. Thin seedlings early to 7 to 15cm apart with 20 to 40cm between rows so each has room to swell.

Though not listed here as a cabbage moth target, turnips are brassicas and still draw cabbage white butterfly and flea beetle in the humid warmth, both of which pepper the leaves with holes. Netting keeps the worst off young plants. The main humidity-related failure is soft rot in waterlogged beds, so raise the bed if drainage is poor and avoid watering the foliage late in the day. Harvest at golf-ball to tennis-ball size — left too long they grow coarse and hot.

Turnip at a glance

Common questions

When can I plant turnips in the subtropics?

Sow direct almost year-round, from August to May, avoiding only the hottest, most humid part of summer. Autumn and winter sowings give the sweetest roots.

How fast do turnips grow?

Very fast. Seed germinates in 6 to 12 days and roots are ready in 50 to 90 days, so they suit gardeners wanting a quick crop.

Why are my turnips woody and split?

Woody, split roots come from maturing in heat or from uneven watering. Grow them through the cool season, keep moisture steady, and harvest young at golf-ball to tennis-ball size.

Do turnips get attacked by pests in the subtropics?

Yes, as brassicas they draw cabbage white butterfly and flea beetle, which hole the leaves. Cover young plants with fine netting to protect them.

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