Turnips are unique garden vegetables because they produce both an edible root and nutrient-rich leafy greens. Achieving a successful harvest for either the root or the foliage depends almost entirely on providing the correct amount of space for each plant to grow. Understanding the difference between initial planting and final spacing is the most significant factor in maximizing your yield and ensuring healthy plant development.
Initial Sowing Density
Turnip seeds are typically sown much closer together than the final plants will stand, a practice that accounts for natural variation in germination rates. To begin, create shallow furrows approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in rows spaced 12 to 18 inches apart. This row spacing allows for adequate air circulation and space to work later in the season.
Place the small seeds about one to two inches apart along the furrow, resulting in a high density of potential plants. This initial proximity ensures a continuous, healthy line of seedlings from which to select the strongest performers. After covering the seeds with a light layer of soil, consistent moisture is necessary to encourage rapid germination, which often occurs within a week.
Final Spacing for Root Development
If your primary goal is to harvest the classic bulbous root, the final spacing of the plants is the most important decision for a successful crop. Turnip roots require space to swell, and competition from nearby plants will result in small, tough, or woody roots. The recommended final distance between individual turnip plants intended for root harvest is four to six inches.
Allowing this separation ensures that each plant has sufficient access to the necessary moisture and nutrients in the soil to form a well-rounded root. When plants are left closer than four inches, they will compete directly, often leading to misshapen growth where the roots push against each other underground. For larger varieties of turnip, aiming for the upper end of the range, around six inches, provides the best opportunity for the root to achieve its full size. Insufficient spacing also encourages the plants to “bolt,” or prematurely send up a flower stalk, which quickly renders the root bitter and inedible.
Denser Planting for Turnip Greens
Gardeners who plan to harvest turnips primarily for their foliage can maintain a much denser planting arrangement than those focused on root development. Turnip greens thrive in tight conditions because the focus shifts from below-ground swelling to above-ground leaf production. For a greens-only harvest, a final spacing of two to three inches between plants is sufficient, maximizing the number of leaves harvested per square foot of garden space.
This close spacing encourages rapid, tender leaf growth desired for cooking or salads. Many gardeners employ a “cut and come again” method, which involves harvesting the outer leaves when they reach about ten inches in height, leaving the inner leaves to continue growing. If the entire plant is cut two inches above the base, a new crop of tender leaves will often regrow within a few weeks, making dense planting ideal for continuous harvests of foliage. Since the plant’s energy is directed toward leaf regeneration, this method will naturally result in smaller or underdeveloped roots.
The Thinning Process
Achieving the correct final spacing requires thinning, which should be performed when the seedlings are still very young. The ideal time to thin is once the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves and are only a few inches high. At this stage, the young plants are robust enough to withstand the disturbance, but their roots have not yet become entangled with their neighbors.
When removing the excess seedlings, it is important to cut the unwanted plants at the soil line rather than pulling them out. Pulling a seedling can easily disturb or damage the delicate root system of the neighboring plant you intend to keep, potentially resulting in a stunted or deformed final root. The tender, young seedlings removed during this process can be washed and utilized as nutritious microgreens in salads. Thinning early is important because turnip is a fast-growing crop, and any delay in creating the proper space can compromise the final harvest.