Turnips are quite rightly called an original Russian vegetable. The root vegetable was once so popular that it became the hero of several well-known and beloved fairy tales. Today, for some reason, this amazing vegetable is undeservedly forgotten. And in vain, because it is much superior to potatoes, which are firmly established in our menu, in terms of the number of microelements; it contains glucoraphanin, which reduces the risk of developing diabetes and other diseases.
There are many varieties and varieties of turnips. To grow a rich harvest, it is important to take a responsible approach to the choice of planting material. We'll tell you about the best varieties of turnips with photos and descriptions.
What turnip seeds look like
Externally, turnip seeds are unremarkable - they are small black or dark brown balls with a diameter of 2-3 mm. The color and size of the seed largely depend on the variety. Since the seeds are very small, they are often mixed with sand or soil before planting.
Many of the seeds are hollow or deformed. Some can be determined by eye, but it is better to use a proven method: make a 5% solution of table salt and pour the seeds into it. Good seeds will sink to the bottom, unsuitable seeds will float to the surface.
Reference. Turnip is considered one of the oldest plants cultivated by man. Historians say that it is at least 5-6 thousand years old. Western Asia is considered the homeland of the vegetable. In Ancient Egypt, turnips were the food of the poorest segments of the population, but in Ancient Rome, on the contrary, they decorated the tables of the patricians. In Rus', turnips were mentioned more than once in ancient chronicles and in the literature of the Silver Age, being almost the main dish on the tables of both commoners and the upper class.
What color does it come in and what color doesn't it?
Speaking of the last point, in order to be sure that it is a turnip in your hands, and not, for example, a radish or a rutabaga, you need to know that there are only turnips:
- black;
- white;
- yellow;
- green;
- light red;
- purple.
Turnips of other colors are either not turnips at all, or have been processed.
Due to its chemical composition, turnip is often used for medicinal purposes. We bring to your attention 5 folk recipes made from root vegetables and honey.
Types and best varieties of turnips
The yield of turnips largely depends on the variety and region in which it is grown. With the correct selection of seed, proper planting and care, this nutritious vegetable will delight you with two harvests a year.
The varieties are table and fodder. Among the canteens, a salad group is distinguished. If table turnips use only root vegetables for food, then salad turnips are valuable not only for their roots, but also for their leaves.
Varieties also differ in ripening time. There are early (1.5-2 months), middle (2-3 months) and late, which require at least 3 months to ripen. The plant is biennial.
Most varieties of this vegetable produce a full harvest only in the second year after sowing. But today many varieties have been bred that can be called hyper-early ripening. They produce 2 harvests per year. By the way, turnips are sown in early spring.
There are many varieties and varieties of turnips on the market today. Most of the seeds are of domestic origin, some are bred abroad.
Medicinal properties for cough
Many people remember how, in childhood, their parents gave them something very sickly sweet for coughs. But it was turnip juice, which helps fight coughs. Just 1 tablespoon of the drink helps calm the airways, remove phlegm and reduce pain when coughing. An integral part of the mixture is honey. In tandem with turnips, this product has a beneficial effect on the respiratory tract, helps to recover faster and boosts immunity.
People with diabetes should avoid using honey and other sweeteners as they can cause a spike in blood sugar. Diabetics are recommended to drink pure turnip juice.
To prepare a miraculous drink, you need to grate the turnips on a fine grater, then squeeze out all the juice into a clean container. Next, honey is added (to taste) and the liquid is mixed well. After this, you need to give it time to brew (2 hours). You should drink the medicine one tablespoon three times a day; for children, 1 teaspoon is enough.
There is another way to prepare turnip cough syrup. You need to wash the turnip well and cut off its top, after which a small depression is made inside into which you should put honey (some use sugar, but it is not so healthy, it only promotes the production of juice). Next, the turnip is covered with the cut top and left at room temperature for several hours until a sufficient amount of juice is released. After this you can drink. The proportions and frequency of application are the same in both methods.
If you regularly drink turnip juice with honey, the improvements will be noticeable, but it is impossible to say on what day the cough will go away, since the disease progresses differently for everyone. However, relief and expectorant effect will be noticeable on the second day of use.
Table turnips
For a long time in Rus', children were forced to eat turnips - the plant saved younger generations from rickets and other diseases associated with a deficiency of vitamins in the diet. The root vegetable contains succinic acid, as well as vitamins C, B1 and B2, it contains a huge amount of carotene (the yellower the fruit, the more there is).
One of the special features of turnips is its low calorie content. In recent years, it has become an integral part of weight loss diets. But the juice from the root, mixed with honey, perfectly treats coughs in both children and adults.
Petrovskaya
This is the most famous of the domestic turnip varieties. Moreover, one of the oldest. Petrovskaya belongs to the table mid-season varieties. After the emergence of seedlings, at least 2 months pass before the root crop ripens. A ripe vegetable weighs from 60 to 130 g, but there are specimens weighing 0.5 kg.
From 1 m², 1.5-3 kg of turnips of this variety are harvested. It is consumed fresh, pickled and made into stews.
Young shoots are not afraid of frost. It’s good if Petrovskaya’s predecessors when planting were potatoes, cucumbers or tomatoes.
If the crop is not harvested before frost, then frozen vegetables cannot be stored.
Petrovskaya-1
Petrovskaya-1 belongs to the mid-early table varieties.
The culture is unpretentious and stores well even with slight freezing. The fruits are yellow, round and slightly flattened. The fruit is juicy, weighs up to 0.5 kg, but more often – 150-200 g, and has a sweetish taste. When planting, it is better to place a larger distance between future plants, since the fruits of the Petrovskaya-1 turnip are quite large.
Milanese pink
It belongs to early ripening, high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties. Ripening occurs in 50-55 days. The root crop is rounded-flat, pink-purple, and has a light tip. Ripe turnips weigh from 100 to 200 g.
Vegetables of this variety must be watered more thoroughly than most other analogues, since Milanese rose is more demanding of soil moisture and prefers sandy loam and loam.
Grandma
Babka is a mid-early, high-yielding variety. Technical maturity occurs in at least 2 months. The ripe vegetable has round, golden-yellow, smooth and shiny fruits. A mature root vegetable weighs up to 200 g and has excellent taste.
The harvest is suitable for long-term storage. Grandma gravitates towards loamy soils. The best predecessors on the site are cucumbers, tomatoes, and legumes. Root crops are harvested selectively, depending on the maturity achieved.
Bug
The turnip, named after another character in a popular fairy tale, belongs to the early-ripening varietal material. No more than 1.5 months pass from the moment the seedlings emerge to full ripening. The root vegetables are golden yellow in color, fleshy, weighing up to 0.5 kg. It is considered one of the highest yielding varieties. From 1 m² they collect up to 5 kg. The vegetable is perfectly stored if it is not frozen before harvesting.
Golden ball
The peculiarity of the Golden Ball is its unpretentiousness. It is resistant to cold weather and also produces consistently high yields, especially on loamy soils. The root vegetables are round, yellow, weigh up to 200 g, their skin is smooth and tender, and the pulp is juicy and dense. Ripening occurs in 2 months.
Golden ball maintains high yield in areas with late spring and cool climates. Where the vast majority of other turnip varieties suffer from climatic factors, it is the Golden Ball that shows consistently high results.
This is interesting:
What types of carrot seeds are there, how to choose and plant them correctly.
Rules for storing seed potatoes: instructions for preparing seeds.
A selection of the best recipes for sauerkraut with dill and its seeds.
Lettuce leaf turnip
Turnips of salad varieties are distinguished by a high content of ascorbic acid; they are rich in beta-carotene, vitamins B and E, and mineral salts. The leaves contain huge amounts of calcium. With regular consumption of salad turnips, bone tissue is strengthened, and the risk of osteoporosis is significantly reduced.
Geisha
The variety with such an intriguing name belongs to the early-ripening table variety - it is a subspecies of the kokaboo turnip, common in Japan. The fruits are white, round and weigh up to 200 g. Geisha belongs to the table and salad category, so not only root vegetables, but also tender leaves rich in vitamins are suitable for food.
Planting is carried out in early spring; maturation will take no more than 1.5 months. According to reviews from gardeners, Geisha is a cold-resistant, shade-tolerant and bloom-resistant variety.
Turnip variety GEISHA, description, growing experience.
Komatsuna
This is what the familiar spinach is sometimes called. The plant belongs to the salad varieties; the root vegetables weigh little - only about 20-30 g.
Komatsuna is cold-resistant and adapts well to home growing conditions. From the moment the shoots appear until the harvest takes place, only one month passes. The leaves do not taste bitter, they are tender and rich in vitamins.
The plant loves moisture and is resistant to stemming. The crop is harvested at least three times a year. Sowing is carried out in the early spring months and in mid-August. Excellent for growing in greenhouses.
Granddaughter
Turnips of the Vnuchka variety are considered both table and salad turnips at the same time. The hybrid variety has juicy root vegetables that weigh up to 150 g, as well as delicate and slightly sour-tasting purple leaves. From the moment of sowing to harvesting, up to 1.5 months pass.
The variety is considered early ripening. Its versatility has earned it great popularity, especially among summer residents in central Russia. Granddaughter cannot be called a frost-resistant variety, so it is advisable to harvest it long before the first frost.
Reference. Today, the number of popular turnip varieties reaches 30. In fact, there are many more. Breeders are constantly introducing more and more new types of seed, adapted to the specific conditions of certain regions: soil, humidity, weather conditions, etc.
For central Russia
The temperate region is ideal for growing almost all varieties of turnips. This vegetable grows well in central Russia; consistently high yields are harvested here.
The main thing is to choose the right soil in accordance with the variety being planted.
It is also necessary to decide where exactly the vegetable will be grown - in open ground or in a greenhouse. When planning a harvest, it is better to make preliminary calculations; this will save you from wasting effort and money.
Care
There is nothing specific about caring for turnips. Required
- Timely weeding.
- Loosening the top layer of soil to a small extent. 3–5 cm, depth.
- Watering when the soil dries out in dry weather.
- Pest control.
When planting turnips in early spring, the moisture supply from melted snow is sufficient for the first period of growth. At this time, you can mulch the soil only with dark mulch, because light mulch will slow down the heating of the soil. If watering is required later, especially during the formation of root crops, pour approximately 2–3 liters per 1 sq.m. Before watering, the turnips must be weeded, and after watering in late May - early June, the plantation can be covered with any mulch. The soil underneath is always softer, does not form a crust and does not dry out, which means you will have to water less in dry weather.
If there is a lack of moisture, turnips will grow small, tasteless and rough.
Summer growing occurs during the peak of summer heat and sun. If there are no cloudy days or rains, it is better to grow turnips in small areas under a covering non-woven material thrown over arcs of glass reinforcement, wire or other materials. Also in summer it is better to mulch the plantation and water it more often.
Non-woven agricultural material (spandbod) will save turnip crops from the summer heat
The cruciferous flea beetle will not penetrate under such shelter, the soil will dry out less, and the plant in general will grow much better due to a good microclimate.
If it is not possible to install arches, you can simply cover the planted plantation until germination.
The shelter without arcs will have to be removed with the appearance of the first true sheets
In summer, turnips can be planted in the vacant area after harvesting early potatoes, cabbage, herbs, and garlic.
Pests
The main pest of turnips, like all plants in its family, is the cruciferous flea beetle. This is a tiny black insect that can jump. Activates when it gets warm. In dry weather, quenching thirst, it eats more foliage and can destroy a young bush in a matter of hours. You can prevent the appearance of fleas by dusting the plantings with a mixture of tobacco dust and wood ash in a 1:1 ratio. This mixture will also scare away an already settled colony of pests, but they can return, so treatments are carried out regularly. In extreme cases, you can use insecticides recommended specifically for these pests, strictly according to the instructions for their use.
Peculiarities of growing in regions and seedling method
Turnip can be called a northern crop because of its cold resistance, optimal growth temperature no higher than 25 degrees and short growth period, which does not require a long summer. It manages to form a root crop in Siberia and the Urals, and in the conditions of the North-West and Moscow region, the seeds also ripen. Therefore, it is extremely rare that there is a need to grow turnips in seedlings, especially since all root crops do not tolerate transplantation well. It makes sense to grow turnip seedlings in conditions of an extremely short summer (less than 60 days with a temperature of 12–18 degrees) and in cold regions for seeds, where turnips without seedlings growing in warmth do not have time to produce mature seeds. In other cases, this activity may not be profitable, because 1 bush of turnip seedlings takes up the same amount of expensive, energy-intensive space in greenhouses or on window sills as 1 bush of cucumbers and tomatoes. But the yields from 1 turnip bush and, for example, tomatoes are not comparable, and turnips can grow well without seedlings in open ground. Turnips, turnips, like other root crops, if necessary, are grown in a separate container with a closed root system, and replanted together with a lump of earth without touching the roots.
Harvest and storage
In summer, a root crop that has reached a diameter of 6–8 cm can be considered ripe and selectively harvested for current consumption. As soon as the first signs of tops growth appear, the stem sprouts into flowering, into an arrow. The harvest is completely harvested, otherwise the fruits become sluggish, hard and lose their taste.
Turnips planted in summer are harvested before frost begins. Turnips caught in frost cannot be preserved. Before storing, the tops are cut off completely without damaging the root crop.
Turnips store less well than other root vegetables, which is why they are particularly demanding on storage conditions. It is stored on racks, in containers or boxes in several layers with a total height of no more than 80 cm. With a higher stack height, the lower layers may suffer from the pressure of the upper layers. Turnip roots should be isolated from each other. To do this, the layers are sprinkled with a layer of slightly damp, clean sand. A thicker layer, up to 7 cm, is poured onto the bottom of the containers. Next, a row of turnips is laid and covered with a 2–4 cm layer of sand.
Isolation of root crops prevents putrefactive bacteria from spreading throughout the entire crop, maintains optimal humidity and keeps turnips juicy. The ideal storage temperature is from 0 to plus 2 degrees, air humidity is up to 95%. The higher the temperature, the shorter the shelf life of the crop.
