Get the best from these brilliant varieties with our simple step-by-step guides
SOW YOUR
Turnip ‘Sweet Marble’
This summer variety is fast growing, with sweet tasting roots which have no bitter aftertaste. They can be eaten raw or cooked and the leaves can be used in the same way as spinach, so it is a generous and versatile crop to add to your garden.
Sow outdoors
Keep the plants well-watered until they are established and harvest when turnips are young and small (the size of a gold ball) for the best flavour and texture. Others can be left to mature to the size of a tennis ball, but this will depend on personal preference and how you will be using them. Sow your turnip seeds directly into pre-watered, fertile soil where the crop is to stay. Do so thinly and 1.5cm deep, allowing 30cm between rows. After seedlings appear – which will usually be between 14 and 21 days – thin them to 10cm apart to give the roots adequate space to grow on and swell in size.. Making successional sowings (every two to three weeks) will ensure you have an ongoing supply of these delicious roots and leaves throughout the season.
Onion(Spring) ‘Ishikura’
Easy and quick to grow, Onion (Spring) Ishikura is ideal for growing in containers, or pots of compost, on a patio, or balcony, where space is limited. These are a long, thin ‘bunching’ type of onion with little waste and they’re a good source of vitamin C, too. While they mature fast, they are, however, slow to form bulbs, so you’ll need to be patient with them.
Sow outdoors
From March-July, sow seeds thinly where they are to grow, around 1.5cm (½”) deep directly into finely prepared, moist soil. Allow 15cm (6”) between rows. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days. Water well and ensure the soil remains moist. If sowing early, it may be beneficial to protect seedlings with a cloche. No thinning is required for Onion (Spring) Ishikura, but keep w
