Simple, easy and low maintenance are not normally terms applied to growing vegetables in panhandle Florida, or anywhere else.
To every rule, however, there are a few exceptions, and gardening is no different.
Gardeners in the coming cool season have many advantages to go along with the challenges.
Insects are few to non-existent, there are far fewer weeds to compete for nutrients, and the temperatures will not induce heat exhaustion.
Granted, vegetable selections are restricted, but there are options. One of the traditional favorites in the South is the turnip, scientifically known as Brassica rapa.
This high yielding crop was once a staple in every garden south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Depending on the cultivar, almost the entire plant is usable for food.
Turnips are a regionally popular garden vegetable which can be started from seed in the next few weeks. This purple top variety can be ready for harvest in about two months.
The leaves, commonly referred to as greens, are cooked like collards, kale, and mustard. There is a taste difference, with turnips having a bitter tinge.
Some cultivars produce the greens almost exclusively. Seven-top is one regionally popular variety which is prolific at delivering usable leaves.
Turnip roots may weigh up to about two pounds, depending on the specific cultivar. Usually, the roots are harvested when smaller and before they become tough and fibrous.
Size is partly a function of variety and partly a function of the length of time the turnip has been growing. Most varieties can be harvested in 60 to 85 days.
There are very small, multi-color specialty varieties of turnips which can be yellow, orange or red. These are only available in markets when freshly harvested and do not keep well.
The most common local root type turnip is purple top. It is easily distinguished by a bright purple band across the top of the root.
Harvest of this cultivar typically begins 60 days later.
Planting and cultivating turnips is simple and easy, and the seed is inexpensive and plentiful. The small hard seeds are planted in rows and covered by one-quarter inch to one-half inch of dirt.
It is easy to drop too many seeds, so thinning of seedlings may be necessary. This problem can be alleviated by mixing the seeds in clean sand to reduce the number of seeds placed in the soil.
The planting bed should remain moist, but not saturated. Germination will occur in about a week.
Turnips can be peeled before cooking, eaten raw or sliced, diced or julienned. When cooking this delicate root, cook only to the just-tender point to avoid overcooking as sweetness will diminish.
Select smooth surfaced roots that are firm and heavy with some root hairs at the bottom.
In general, the smaller the turnip, the sweeter that taste.
The roots store well by cutting the greens off and bagging them separately. Place the greens in the crisper section of the refrigerator for up to a week.
In a half-cup cooked serving size, you will receive 15 calories and 15 percent of the daily recommend value of Vitamin C (based on a 2,000-calorie diet).
Turnips are simple and easy to grow, a low maintenance and low-calorie choice. If planted in the next few weeks they will be ready for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
The most difficult task associated with growing turnips is clearing the garden plot of summer weeds.
Leave a Reply