Turnip is a mono- or perennial crops, which belongs to the genus Cabbage (family Cruciferae). This vegetable is considered the birthplace of Malaya Asia. Turnip is a source of valuable minerals and vitamins. With its cultivation does not arise any difficulties, but the process itself assumes that some of the rules.
Please put the Huskies and subscribe to the channel "About Fazenda". This will enable us to publish more interesting garden articles.
A little history
In ancient Egypt it was considered a turnip main food of the poor segments of society. But in ancient Rome, this vegetable was in special honor, it is actively used in food as the poor, and emperors.
In Russia, turnips helped the local population to survive times of famine. We are preparing all kinds of dishes from vegetables, but most simply assume steamed turnips, a saying that is known to everyone. When power passed into the hands of Peter I, I began to displace the turnips potatoes.
In Russian chronicles repeatedly pointed out that people who ate turnips food, were less prone to various diseases and live longer than those that ate potatoes. Already in the 18th century, the potato was able to completely replace the turnip from the diet of the peasants.
What kind of vegetable turnip?
The use of turnip priceless. Today, it can rarely be found in the menu and completely in vain, because it is considered a medicinal plant. From it you can prepare salads, soups, bake it and stuff. Turnip antiseptic, analgesic wound healing properties. With its help, you can stop the inflammation. Vegetable shown to those who have problems with appetite enough to eat a slice of turnip and hunger immediately will have an effect. If you eat a little turnips for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it will accelerate the process of digestion.
Biological description of culture
Turnip - dense fleshy root, formation of which occurs under the ground and above the surface formed by the stem, leaves covered. As a rule, in the first year after seeding or transplanting, is the formation of roots, and there is a rosette leaf blades. The following season, the vegetable releases the arrow of flowers, in which viable seeds are formed. If was planted graded turnip, not hybrid F 1 seed can sow again.
Varieties of turnips are classified into two groups: the table and feed. In today's article will focus on is the first option.
Interesting fact!Certainly, not everyone knows that the next of kin of turnips - a cabbage Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli, and cauliflower. To fellow turnips include such popular vegetables like radishes and radish.
Seedlings and nonseedlings way to growing turnips
Growing turnips can be done in two ways: seedlings and seeds. Not everyone is a beginner summer resident knows which one to prefer. First, I would like to pay attention to seedling method, since it was he who ensures early harvest.
Cultivation of turnip seedlings through
Preparation and sowing seeds
Planting material for growing seedlings are planted in wooden boxes or plastic cups. This should be done for 30-50 days before planting in open ground. Before sowing the seeds for seedlings, they need to sort out and eliminate those that are not exactly sprout. Determine the defective seed is quite simple. To do this, the seeds need to pour the brine. For its preparation should be dissolved in 100 ml of warm water 5 g salt. If the seed lot, the number of ingredients should be doubled.
Once the seeds are covered with liquid, they should mix well and leave to soak for about 30 minutes. During this period, "forward-looking" specimens will sink to the bottom and float substandard.
After extracting the seed from the liquid, they must be washed and decomposed on a napkin. Once they dry out, they need to disinfection. For this purpose, they should be placed in the cloth bag, put it in water (50 degrees) and leave for 15 minutes and then immersed in cold water for 2 minutes. seeds should then be wrapped in a damp cloth and wait for them to swell.
Experienced gardeners recommend to use a simple way to germination. To do this, you must take the tablets peat, wet them and place each of them on a few seeds. Next, they need to be put on the windowsill and cover film. It is important that they are not in direct sunlight. After sprouting, the shelter can be removed.
Cultivation of turnip seedlings
When the seedlings appear, it is important to provide them with favorable conditions for growth and development. The temperature regimen should be in the range + 6-12 degrees. It is appropriate to place them on the balcony or on the terrace.
After the embryonic leaves will be disclosed in each tablet should be left on one sturdy rostochku, and all other cut at the base. Particular attention should be paid to the soil moisture content in the tablets. Its drying or over-wetting unacceptable. After 4-5 days after the disclosure of the cotyledons turnips should energize NPK (1 tbsp. l. money for a bucket of water). Under each bush need to add 10-15 ml liquid.
Two weeks before transplanting into the ground, it is important to temper it so it was easier to stand up to harsh weather conditions. To this end, a container with bushes need to make the street for an hour and gradually to extend this period. By the end of the second week are planted can be left in the open air for 24 hours.
swordplay turnip
With picks seedling turnips can be some difficulty. That's why experienced gardeners are advised to use peat tablets. The thing is that they can be placed directly into the ground with seedlings. So, you do not have to destroy the earth com, that will eliminate injury to the root system. Thanks to this method, the seedlings will take root in the garden.
In the middle zone of the optimum period for planting seedlings - mid-May. Between plants is necessary to maintain a distance of 25-35 cm.
Nonseedlings way of growing turnips
Seed cultivation method involves planting them directly in the ground. Before you do this, you need to separate the good seed (an indicator of quality in this case will act as a saline solution) and wrap them in a damp cloth to swell.
Novice gardeners who sow turnips directly into the soil, often can not decide on the optimal period of landing, as much depends not only on the local climate, but also the weather. When it comes to the central regions of Russia, to sow the seeds of turnips in the open ground can be at the end of April. In the northern regions, this period witnessed the beginning of May, in the more severe - the beginning of summer.
Important!From the seeds of turnips sown from late June until mid-June, the roots can grow, which can be eaten and leave the storage for the winter.
If we consider this feature, you can sow the seeds for the winter (for 3 weeks before the due date) and settle for an early harvest. turnip seed can hatch even with a slight rise in temperature. As quickly as possible the appearance of germs occurs if the temperature is above 15 degrees.
Where sowing or planting turnips?
In turnip unpretentious character, but the best results can be achieved by planting it in light and clayey soils with a neutral pH. If the soil at the site acidic, it is necessary to liming. In the spring, before planting, while digging the soil, you need to make 300 g of lime per 1 square meter.
Important!If turnips grown in acidic soil, you can not keep it in the winter.
Before you plant the seedlings or sow its seeds, it is necessary to pay attention to the training site. On the ground surface is necessary to scatter the mold (1 bucket per square meter), wood ash (250-300 g), potassium sulfate (1 tbsp. l.). Next, the soil should be dug at bayonet spade and remove all the weeds that were found in it.
The best preceding turnips are considered legumes, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers. It is not recommended to define this vegetable in the garden, which had previously held the radishes, radish, watercress. All these cultures are drawn out of the ground the same nutrients and accumulate common pests and diseases.
How to plant turnips in open ground?
Seed sowing is carried banded, two-line making ribbons. Between the belts and by the seeds you need to leave a gap of 25-30 cm. Place the seeds should be in the soft and moist soil. Once they are planted, the soil should be slightly compacted, using the back side of the rake.
Important!Plant seeds too deep is not necessary. Sufficiently deepen their 2 cm. Fill up a lot of land is also not worth it.
Planting turnips for winter
As mentioned above, experienced gardeners frequently resort to podzimnego method turnip sowing. In the central regions of Russia, the vegetable is planted by this method in October. If you fall in no hurry to upset the cold, and can be sown in early November. As a rule, the seeds rather endure the harsh weather conditions in the winter, and spring quickly and simultaneously ascend.
Important!Podzimnego sowing seeds assumes recess 3 cm. Similarly, the same should be a layer of the coating. When the snow falls, they need to be sure to tightly cover the place of crops.
Care turnips on beds
Mulching and loosening
After the appearance of rostochku, a bed must be covered with a uniform layer of wood ash. Its thickness is 0.5 cm. Thus it is able to protect the plant from the invasion of crucifer flea. If you want to plant turnips near other cultures, it is best to give preference to legumes. After coating a bed ash and landing legumes, can be carried out using repeated mulching straw or hay. This method will get rid of the regular loosening of land and removal of soil crust, which does not tolerate turnip.
At the mere mulching rely not worth it. In any event, weed control is inevitable. However, pay attention to it is necessary not so often. If the seedlings are too frequent, can be carried out thinning. When the plants are located close to each other, these steps can be repeated after 10-12 days.
watering turnip
Turnip - vegetable culture that loves abundant watering. If there is no rain, it must be watered in the morning and evening. It is unacceptable that the land dry up in the garden. Oversupply of moisture also discouraged. Suffice it to pour one bucket rain water or supernatant at room temperature for 1 square meter.
The soil is particularly in need of moisture, when a period of emergence of the first shoots of leaves and the formation of the maximum growth of root crops. 7 days before harvest irrigation should be minimized. If it rains, it should not be watered flower bed, otherwise there is a risk that there will be cracks in the tubers.
fertilizing turnip
Vegetable feed need not often. Over the entire period of growth will require the introduction of two-single feeding. For the first time used NPK (one month after sprouting). Means should be diluted in water (one matchbox per bucket). This amount will be enough per square meter of the beds.
A second feeding is carried out in the middle of summer. At this time you need to make potash. If the roots to fully develop, you can make a 250-300 g of wood ash. With insufficient development of root crops require potassium sulphate solution (10 g of agent per bucket of water). This amount is enough for 1 square. meter portion.
Pests and diseases turnip
Turnips, like other vegetables, is subject to various diseases and pests. We have already mentioned that the place it near the cabbage should not be, because they are common diseases. Pest who like to attack the turnips are: bugs, cabbage fly, cabbage aphid, white butterfly, cruciferous flea beetles, weevils, skrytnohobotnik.
By diseases of vegetables could be considered: vascular and slimy bacterial blight, blackleg, gray rot.
Prevention of pests and diseases
Growing turnips, you must take all measures to prevent the disease and its appearance of pests. Preventive measures mean pre-treatment of seeds, thinning seedlings. It is also important to prevent stagnation of rain and irrigation water, because it causes decay. Eliminating weeds should be done necessarily, because they are considered to be carriers of pests and diseases.
After harvesting, the area should be dug at bayonet spade, wrapping layer, but not destroying it before winter. If you still have not managed to prevent the disease or the plant was attacked by pests, it must be removed from the site. With a large number of them require treatment with drugs such as "fundazol", "Topsin" and so forth.
Not less effective in controlling harmful insects folk remedies. With the best hand proved itself broth topped tomato or potato. To prepare the liquid, the tops should be boiled for half an hour, then strain and dilute with clean water. Before spraying the bushes in the broth you need to add soap (40 g per bucket of liquid).
Irrigation of plants this structure will help eliminate Belyanko, scoop, moths, flies and various other pests. If the "intruders" too much, you can use insecticides "aktellik", "Megafos".
Cleaning and storage of turnips
Harvest turnips should be carried out in late September-early October. If you do not remove it in time, it will become coarse and loses its taste. Dig up the roots you can use the lift. It is best to carry out these activities in sunny dry weather.
Important! Root vegetables, which will be sent to storage, you should try to dig carefully. If you hurt them, they can not be stored all winter.
Once the turnips will be dug out, it is necessary to cut off the tops, leaving the petiole in a couple of centimeters long and remove any woody roots. Then you need to gently clean off the ground root residues. To do this, it can be wiped with a cloth. Next, dried turnip need in a dark place and sort according to size.
Store turnips in the area need no longer than 7 days. It should provide a protective coating in the form of hay or straw. Its layer should be in the range 12-15 cm. Next roots must be sent to storage in the cellar or basement. It is important that the temperature in the storage space was around + 2-3 degrees.
As the containers are perfect for the usual boxes. Roots need to pour dry sand or peat crumbs. It is unacceptable that they were close to each other. In such circumstances, turnips can be stored for several months. If a modest harvest, store turnips can be in the refrigerator or on the balcony. Each root need to be wrapped in plastic wrap. Shelf life of vegetables in this case will be about a month.
It is also possible storage of turnips in the indoor environment. So she can lie without damage no longer than 2 weeks. That spoiled vegetables will witness a bitter taste.
Important!For long term storage roots should be selected having a diameter greater than 5 cm.
varieties of turnips
At the end of the article, I would like to examine in detail the varieties of turnips. To date, the Gosreeste recorded three dozen varieties of vegetable crops. All of them are divided into ripening into:
- early (45-55) days;
- medium (65-85) days;
- late (more than 90 days).
To modern varieties, which have already gained popularity among truckers, include:
- "Venus". Mid-grade. Harvesting can be done within 2 months from the date of emergence. Root vegetables have a flat shape, reddish-purple color. Weight 200 g It has a good taste. With one meter square can be assembled more than 4 kg turnip.
- "Merchant's Wife". Mid-grade. Harvesting is carried out 55 days after sowing. In root crops it has reddish-purple color. Weight per root is 235 g From one square meter can collect 9.8 kg of turnips.
- "Palette". Characterized by middle-ripening period (2 months). Root vegetable has a flat shape, bluish-purple color. Weight 300 g From one square meter can be collected about 5 kg of vegetables.
- "Pelagia". It refers to the middle-classes. Characterized ploskokrugloy shape and yellow color. Weight 210 g With one meter square can be assembled to 1.5 kg of vegetables.
Turnips - a storehouse of vitamins and minerals, so it should definitely include in your diet. With the cultivation of this vegetable to handle even the beginner summer resident, most importantly, strictly adhere to all the recommendations, ranging from the preparation of the seed and ending with the maintenance rules.
original article and many other materials can be found on our website.
Please put the Huskies and subscribe to the channel "About Fazenda". This will enable us to publish more interesting garden articles.
Read more: The Art of Change, or how to change the area of your site