Domakihub How to Grow Turnips: A Practical Guide to Harvest
From seed to table in as little as six weeks — turnips are one of the most rewarding cool-season crops for Greek gardens.
Reviewed by Domakihub garden pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Turnips are a fast-maturing, low-fuss vegetable that suits the mild Greek winters perfectly — whether you are tending a private garden, keeping a holiday rental productive off-season, or supplying a small hotel kitchen with fresh greens. The video above by no-dig pioneer Charles Dowding shows the sowing, care, and harvest process end-to-end; the steps below distil the essentials so you can follow along and adapt them to a Mediterranean climate. With the right timing and a little soil preparation, a first harvest is realistic within six to eight weeks of sowing.
Why Turnips Work So Well in Greece
Greece's mild autumns and winters are ideal for turnips, which are a cool-season brassica. While northern-European gardeners squeeze turnips into a narrow spring window before heat arrives, growers in Greece can sow from September through February and enjoy harvests well into spring. Summer heat turns roots woody and bitter, so the Mediterranean shoulder seasons are the sweet spot.
Both the swollen root and the leafy tops are edible, which doubles the value of every plant. Young turnip greens can be harvested within three to four weeks and used like spinach, while the roots follow a few weeks later. For holiday rental gardens or hotel kitchen plots, this dual harvest means continuous yield from a compact space.
Choosing the Right Variety
For fresh eating from the garden, Japanese salad types such as Hakurei are mild, tender, and best pulled at golf-ball size. For storage or heavier cooking — soups, stews, roasted side dishes — traditional purple-top varieties hold up better and tolerate a little more heat. Both types do well in the Greek growing window. Seed is inexpensive and widely available online or at agricultural supply shops in Greece.
If space is limited, turnips grow well in raised beds or even large containers at least 30 cm deep. This makes them practical for terrace gardens, roof gardens on apartment buildings, and the small kitchen-garden plots common at agrotourism properties.
How to Grow Turnips Step by Step
- 1
Prepare the Soil
Loosen the bed to a depth of 25-30 cm and remove any stones larger than a walnut — obstructions cause roots to fork and deform. Work in a generous layer (5-8 cm) of well-rotted compost and rake to a fine, even tilth. Turnips prefer a slightly alkaline pH around 6.0-7.0; if your soil is acidic, a light dusting of garden lime a week before sowing will help. Avoid freshly manured beds, which push leafy growth at the expense of root development.
- 2
Sow Seeds Directly
Turnips resent root disturbance, so direct sowing is best. Draw shallow drills about 1 cm deep and 30 cm apart. Sprinkle seeds thinly — roughly 2-3 seeds per every 5 cm — and cover lightly. Water gently with a fine rose or mister so seeds are not displaced. In Greek autumn conditions, germination is typically visible within four to seven days. If transplanting (as Dowding demonstrates in the video), sow into module trays first and move seedlings at the two-leaf stage.
- 3
Thin and Weed
Once seedlings reach about 5 cm tall, thin to one plant every 10-15 cm for small salad turnips, or 20 cm for larger storage types. Crowded plants produce spindly tops and undersized roots. Keep the bed weeded, especially in the early weeks: turnip seedlings are not competitive and weeds will slow them significantly. A light mulch of compost between rows suppresses weeds and retains moisture without affecting root development.
- 4
Water Consistently
Turnips need steady, even moisture to develop smooth, well-shaped roots. Aim for roughly 2-3 cm of water per week through rain or irrigation. Uneven watering — dry spells followed by heavy rain or irrigation — causes roots to crack or develop a pithy, coarse texture. In Greece's dry autumn months, drip irrigation or hand-watering every two to three days is usually sufficient. Reduce watering slightly once roots are well established but never allow the bed to dry out completely.
- 5
Harvest at the Right Size
Pull the first thinnings as microgreens or baby leaves at three to four weeks. Begin harvesting roots when they reach 5-8 cm in diameter — about the size of a tennis ball — which is typically six to eight weeks after sowing. At this stage roots are at their sweetest and most tender. Leaving them in the ground longer is fine in cool weather, but roots become pithy and sharp-tasting once temperatures rise above 20°C. Twist off the tops, brush off soil, and store roots in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks.
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FAQ
- When is the best time to plant turnips in Greece?
- September through February is the prime window for Greek gardens. Sowing in early autumn gives a winter harvest when roots are at their sweetest; a late-winter sowing in January or February matures before the spring heat arrives. Avoid sowing in summer — temperatures above 24°C cause bolting and bitter roots.
- Can I grow turnips in pots or raised beds?
- Yes. Turnips grow well in any container at least 30 cm deep with good drainage. Use a light, loamy potting mix blended with compost, and water more frequently than you would in the ground since containers dry out faster. Salad varieties like Hakurei are especially suited to container growing because of their compact root size.
- Do turnips need a lot of fertiliser?
- Very little. A bed enriched with compost before sowing provides all the nutrients most turnips need. Excess nitrogen — from heavy manuring or high-nitrogen fertilisers — produces lush leafy tops at the expense of root development. If plants look pale, a light top-dressing of balanced granular fertiliser (equal N-P-K) is enough; avoid liquid feeds high in nitrogen.