John&Jacq~s Garden

Brassica rapa var. rapifera is one of the oldest vegetables cultivated by Man

Brassica rapa var. rapifera (Turnip, White Turnip, Turnip Rape)

Turnip or White Turnip is one of the oldest vegetables cultivated by Man.

It is a root vegetable commonly grown worldwide for its edible white and bulbous taproot.

Besides, it is well known for its traditional medicine.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Brassica rapa var. rapifera (syn.: Brassica campestris var. rapa).
• Common Names: Turnip, White Turnip, Turnip Rape.
• Family name: Brassicaceae.
• Etymology: Not available.
• Origin: Native to central and southern Europe.
  It is widely cultivated elsewhere around the globe.
• Plant type: A perennial and herbaceous plant.
• Features: Brassica rapa var. rapifera is from the genus Brassica that consists of 37 species of flowering plants.
  It is an annual or biennial herb with swollen tuberous white-fleshed taproot, which may be globular or flattened and lacking a neck. It has stout taproot, often fusiform to tuberous.
  It grows between 20-50 cm tall.
  Leaves measuring 30-50 cm long are very variable depending on the cultivar, growing in a rosette during the vegetative stage.
  Basal leaves are more or less petioled, bright green, lyrate-pinnatifid, dentate and crenate or sinuate with large terminal lobe and up to 5 pairs of rather small lateral lobes.
  Lower cauline leaves sessile, clasping, pinnatifid and upper cauline leaves sessile, clasping, undivided, glaucous, entire to dentate.
  Bright yellow flowers are a loosely corymbiform raceme and commonly overtopping the unopened buds.
  Fruit is 4-6.5 cm long, with long tapering beak on divaricate-ascending pedicels 3.2-6.5 cm long.
  Seeds blackish or reddish-brown and are 1.5-2 mm in diameter.

• Culture (Care): Brassica rapa var. rapifera or Turnip grows easily with least maintenance.
  Light: Full sun.
  Moisture: High to medium water needs. Keep moist but not waterlogged.
  Soil: Humus-enriched, sandy loam and well-drained soils.
  It is sensitive to drought.
  Others: Erratic watering or more frequent shallow watering may cause the turnips to bolt to flowering prematurely before they develop a decent root.
  Turnips benefit from regular feedings with a compost tea or fertilizer with higher amounts of phosphorous and potassium for good root development. Generally free from serious garden pests and diseases. However, watch out for root maggots and clubroot.
  For subtropical and temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 3-10.
  Brassica rapa var. rapifera or Turnips are among those most cold tolerant of vegetables. They can tolerate frost and moderate freezes, but temperatures below -9.4ºC will top-kill most turnip plants.
  It is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white and bulbous taproot. Turnips thrive in well-drained, deeply worked soil on a sunny site. Plant seeds outdoors three weeks before the last frost in spring. The soil must be at least 40 degrees for germination, which takes from 7 to 14 days. Fall crops of turnips are often sweeter and provide a longer harvest period than spring plantings. For a fall harvest, plant in midsummer about two months before the first frost. Sow spring crops ¼ inch deep and fall crops ½ inch deep. Turnip is basically a cool climate crop, resistant to frost and mild freezes. Temperatures below 10°C may cause bolting.

• Propagation: Easily propagated from seeds that germinate in less than a week.

• Usage: Brassica rapa var. rapifera or White Turnip are small and tender varieties that are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock.
  They are prepared raw or cooked in soups, stews, and sautés. The young leaves are also used as cooked greens.The powdered seed is said to be a folk remedy for cancer. The root when boiled with lard is used for breast tumors. The stems and leaves are said to be a remedy for cancer while a salve derived from the flowers is said to help skin cancer. Excellent for small gardens and ideal to be ground grown or planted in containers.

External links:

• Wikipedia
• National Parks of Singapore – Flora&FaunaWeb
• Rodale’s Organic Life
• Floridata Plant Encyclopedia
• Ecocrop

Tags: flowering plants, green, herbaceous, indoor plants, medicinal, outdoor plants, perennials, reddish-brown, yellow