Bolting turnips (and radishes) question and info...

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k3n Monroe, WA(Zone 8a) Mar 11, 2010

Hi,

TURNIPS:

Is it possible to force turnips to bolt in 1st season?

I am wanting to multiply my supply of turnip seeds of a more rare type of turnip and am hoping to accelerate my production of seeds.

RADISHES:

I know I accidentally discovered radishes (at least cherry belle) tend to bold quickly if too close together and/or close to tomato plants (and that tomato plants may not like radishes being to near, LOL).

As a side note, the rapid bolting radishes exposed me to radish green beans! Very interesting. Note that Rat's Tail Radishes are sold to be grown for their green beans (which are longer than the pods of other radishes, apparently)...but any radish going to seed produces edible green beans...it is mostly a question of the length of the beans from version to version of radishes. This is also another under cultivated garden vegetable in America (just as I mentioned of lentils and chickpeas in a reply on a lentil topic).

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) Mar 13, 2010

My turnips have already bolted. They are an annual so when it warms up they will bolt.

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k3n Monroe, WA(Zone 8a) Mar 13, 2010

All info online call turnips biennial though I noticed my fall planted turnips have now begun to bolt, so I think maybe if you plant turnips in spring they bolt the following spring or near then rather than in the fall, but if you plant them in the fall they will also bolt in the following spring or near it. This would explain both what I am seeing and the info everywhere claiming they are biennial. I think.

Just found this: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/turnip.html

"III. Growth Habits:

Turnip is a member of the mustard family and is therefore related to cabbage and cauliflower. Turnip is a biennial which generally forms seed the second year or even late in the fall in the first year if planted early in the spring."

So, that sounds highly variable and I am sure there are a variety of age and temperature triggers for turnip bolting...so, I think it may be "indeterminant" annual to biennial. hehe


This message was edited Mar 13, 2010 9:49 PM

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