<p>55 days. Roots are smooth and nearly round, bright purple on top, and creamy white on the lower portion. Can reach 13cm (5 in.) in diameter, but are better eating when picked at 5-8cm (2-3 in.) in size. A mild-flavoured, sweet, carefully selected strain.</p><p>Make sowings May through August. Their culture is similar to radishes or rutabagas. Sow 2 seeds/cm in furrows 1cm (1/2 in.) deep, the rows at least 30cm (12 in.) apart. Thin to 5cm (2 in.). If you like greens, leave them crowded and pick the greens when young and tender. <br>CULTURE: Like other plants in the brassica family, these fast-growing plants need fairly rich, well-limed soil. Sow thinly, 1cm (1/2 in.) deep, in rows 60cm (24 in.) apart. Covering the seed with fine manure or compost insures good germination. Thin when well-established. <br>DISEASE: No common problems in our climate. <br>INSECTS: Susceptible to cole crop pests. A floating row cover, especially over a newly seeded area, is very helpful. <br>HARVEST: Greens can be picked when young and tender. Roots are best if eaten when they are the size of a tennis ball size. <br>SEEDSPEC: Minimum germination standard: 80%. Days to emergence: 3-14. Optimum soil temperature range for germination: 20-30 deg. C (68-85 deg. F). Days to maturity: from date of direct seeding. One gram contains approximately 200 seeds. Usual seed life: 3 years.</p><p>Brassica rapa is the plant from which turnips, oil-seed turnip rape and many varieties of Chinese cabbage have been developed. it is related to ordinary cabbage and Chinese mustard and radishes. Brassica rapa is divided into subspecies: ssp. sylvestris is the wild type, still found commonly all over Europe and much of Asia, generally growing as a weed in open ground or by streams. It is either annual or biennial forming a leafy rosette the first autumn and flowering the following spring. Its native range is uncertain, but central Europe has been suggested as a likely area. It is also a common weed in North America. Subspecies rapa is the cultivated turnip. The fleshy taproot is usually almost round in present-day European varieties, but the Japanese also have long narrow carrot-shaped varieties. Today's types have white and yellow flesh, and their skins may be yellow, white, green or purple-topped. Turnip greens are used for spring greens in Europe, either by sowing late and overwintering or by sowing very early and harvesting when the plnats are about 15cm high.</p>
