Turnip seeds - how to choose the best variety

Turnip is quite rightly called a primordially Russian vegetable. Once the root crop was so popular that it became the hero of several famous and beloved fairy tales. Today this amazing vegetable is for some reason undeservedly forgotten. And in vain, because it is much superior to the potatoes that have firmly entered our menu in terms of the amount of trace elements, it contains glucoraphanin, which reduces the risk of developing diabetes mellitus and other diseases.

There are many varieties and varieties of turnips. To grow a rich harvest, it is important to take a responsible approach to the choice of planting material. Let's talk about the best varieties of turnips with photos and descriptions.

What do turnip seeds look like?

Outwardly, turnip seeds are unremarkable - they are small black or dark brown balls with a diameter of 2-3 mm. The color and size of the seed depends largely on the variety. Since the seeds are very small, they are often mixed with sand or soil before planting.

There are many hollow or deformed seeds among the seeds. Some can be identified by eye, but it is better to use a proven method: make a 5% sodium chloride solution and pour the seeds into it. Good seeds will sink to the bottom, unsuitable for planting - float up.

Reference. Turnip considered one of the oldest plants cultivated by man. Historians claim that it is at least 5-6 thousand years old. Western Asia is considered the homeland of the vegetable. In ancient Egypt, turnip was the food of the poorest strata of the population, but in ancient Rome, on the contrary, it adorned the tables of patricians. In Russia, turnip was mentioned more than once in ancient chronicles and in the literature of the "Silver Age", being almost the main dish on the tables of both commoners and the upper class.

Types and best varieties of turnips

The yield of turnip depends largely on the variety and region in which it is grown. With the right selection of seed, proper planting and care, this nutritious vegetable will delight you with two harvests a year.

The varieties are canteen and fodder. Among the dining rooms, a salad group is distinguished. If only root vegetables are used in table-grade turnips, then salad is valuable not only for the root, but also for the leaves.

The varieties also differ in terms of ripening. There are early (1.5-2 months), middle (2-3 months) and late, which take at least 3 months to mature. The plant is biennial.

Most varieties of this vegetable give a full harvest only in the second year after sowing. But today, many varieties have been bred that can be called hyper-early ripening. They give 2 crops a year. By the way, turnips are sown in early spring.

There are many varieties and varieties of turnips on the market today. Most of the seeds are of domestic origin, some are bred abroad.

Turnip table varieties

For a long time in Russia, children were forced to eat turnips - the plant saved young generations from rickets and other diseases associated with a vitamin deficiency in the diet. The root vegetable contains succinic acid, as well as vitamins C, B1 and B2, it contains a huge amount of carotene (the more yellow the fruit, the more it is).

The features of turnips include its low calorie content. In recent years, it has become an integral part of weight loss diets. But the juice from the root, mixed with honey, perfectly cures coughs in both children and adults.

Petrovskaya

It is the most famous of the domestic turnip varieties. Besides, one of the oldest. Petrovskaya belongs to mid-season table varieties. After sprouting, at least 2 months pass before the root crop ripens. A ripe vegetable weighs from 60 to 130 g, but there are instances of 0.5 kg.

1.5-3 kg of turnips of this variety are harvested from 1 m². It is consumed fresh, marinated and made a stew.

Young seedlings are not afraid of frost. It's good if the predecessors of Petrovskaya when planting were potatoes, cucumbers or tomatoes.

If the crop is not harvested before frost, then frozen vegetables cannot be stored.

Petrovskaya-1

Petrovskaya-1 belongs to the mid-early table varieties. The culture is unpretentious, it is perfectly stored even with a little freezing. Fruits are yellow, round and slightly flattened.

The fruit is juicy, weighs up to 0.5 kg, but more often - 150-200 g, has a sweetish taste. When planting, it is better to make a greater distance between future plants, since the fruits of the Petrovskaya-1 turnip are quite large.

Milanese pink

It belongs to early maturing, high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties. Ripening occurs in 50-55 days. The root crop turns out to be round-flat, pink-purple, has a light tip. Ripe turnips weigh from 100 to 200 g.

Vegetables of this variety need to be watered more carefully than most other analogues, since Milanese rose is more demanding on soil moisture, prefers sandy loam and loam.

Grandma

The grandma belongs to the mid-early high-yielding varieties. Technical maturity occurs at least 2 months later. When ripe, the vegetable has round, golden yellow, smooth and shiny fruits. A ripe root crop weighs up to 200 g and has excellent taste.

The crop is suitable for long-term storage. The grandmother gravitates towards loamy soils. Cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes are considered the best predecessors on the site. Root crops are harvested selectively - depending on the reached maturity.

Bug

The turnip, named after another character of the popularly beloved fairy tale, belongs to the early maturing varietal material. From the moment of germination to full maturation, no more than 1.5 months pass. Root crops are golden yellow in color, fleshy, weighing up to 0.5 kg. It is considered one of the most high-yielding varieties. From 1 m² collect up to 5 kg. The vegetable is perfectly stored if it has not been frozen before harvesting.

Golden ball

The peculiarity of the Golden Ball is its unpretentiousness. It is resistant to cold weather, and also gives a consistently high yield, especially on loamy soils. Root crops are round, yellow, weigh up to 200 g, their skin is smooth and tender, and the flesh is juicy and dense. Ripening occurs in 2 months.

The golden ball maintains high yields in areas with late spring and cool climates. Where the vast majority of other turnip varieties suffer from climatic factors, it is the Golden Ball that shows consistently high results.

It is interesting:

What are the seeds of carrots, how to choose them correctly, plant.

Storage rules for seed potatoes: instructions for preparing seeds.

A selection of the best recipes for sauerkraut with dill and its seeds.

Lettuce turnip

Turnip salad varieties are distinguished by a high content of ascorbic acid, it is rich in beta-carotene, vitamins B and E, and mineral salts. The leaves contain huge amounts of calcium. With regular use of turnip greens, bone tissue is strengthened and the risk of osteoporosis is significantly reduced.

Geisha

The variety with such an intriguing name belongs to the early ripening table varieties - it is a subspecies of the kokabu turnip common in Japan. The fruits are white, round and weigh up to 200 g. Geisha belongs to the table-salad category, so not only root vegetables, but also tender leaves rich in vitamins are suitable for food.

Planting is carried out in early spring, it will take no more than 1.5 months to ripen.According to gardeners, Geisha is a cold-resistant, shade-tolerant and resistant to flowering variety.

Komatsuna

This is how the familiar spinach is sometimes called. The plant belongs to salad varieties, the roots weigh a little - only about 20-30 g.

Komatsuna is cold-resistant, adapts well to home growing conditions. It takes only one month from the moment when shoots appear to harvesting. The leaves do not taste bitter, they are tender and rich in vitamins.

The plant loves moisture, resistant to stemming. The crop is harvested at least three times a year. Sowing is carried out in the early spring months and in mid-August. Great for growing in greenhouses.

Granddaughter

The granddaughter turnip is considered both a dining room and a salad at the same time. The hybrid variety has juicy roots that weigh up to 150 g, as well as delicate and slightly sour-tasting purple leaves. From the moment of sowing to harvesting, it takes up to 1.5 months.

The variety is considered early maturing. His versatility has earned him high popularity, especially among summer residents of central Russia. The granddaughter cannot be called a frost-resistant variety, so it is advisable to harvest long before the first frost.

Reference. Today the number of popular varieties of turnips reaches 30. In fact, there are many more. Breeders are constantly presenting more and more new types of seed, adapted to the specific conditions of certain regions: soil, humidity, weather conditions, etc.

For central Russia

The temperate region is ideal for growing almost all varieties of turnip. This vegetable grows well in central Russia; consistently high yields are harvested here.

The main thing is to choose the right soil in accordance with the variety planted.

It is also necessary to decide where exactly the vegetable will be grown - in the open field or in a greenhouse. When planning a harvest, it is better to carry out preliminary calculations, this will save you from wasting forces and resources.

For Siberia

In the harsh conditions of Siberia, it is better to use frost-resistant turnip varieties. If we are talking about the northern part of the region, where the summer is short, then it is better to grow early maturing, because the ripening period in this case should not be more than 1.5-2 months.

The best for Siberia are:

• May yellow;
• Moon;
• Early purple;
• Tokyo.

Open ground varieties

The unpretentiousness of a healthy and vitamin-rich vegetable makes it possible to grow it both in open ground and in greenhouses, and even in indoor conditions.

The best varieties of turnip seeds for open ground are:

• Geisha;
• Petrovskaya-1;
• Lyre;
• Grandfather;
• Snow White;
• Nurse;
• Snowball;
• Russian size;
• Orbit;
• Sapphire.

For greenhouse

Turnips grown in a greenhouse are almost no different from those grown outdoors. However, experts recommend the following varieties for greenhouse cultivation:

• Comet;
• White Night;
• Snow Maiden;
• A chidhood dream;
• Russian fairy tale;
• Bug;
• Komatsuna.

What varieties are resistant to shooting

Shooting, if not dealt with in time, will lead to complete or partial loss of the crop. As a rule, the following varieties of turnips do not go into the arrow:

• Russian fairy tale;
• Comet;
• Orbit;
• Tokyo;
• Petrovskaya-1.

Sweet varieties

Turnips can have many flavors. There is bitter, sweet and even sour. The most favorite are the sweet varieties, among which:

• Golden ball;
• Dunyasha;
• Milanese pink.

The most productive

Any agrarian, be it a large agricultural producer, an average farmer or just an ordinary summer resident, always strives for high yields. Suitable varieties:

• Petrovskaya-1;
• Tokyo;
• Snow White.

Early varieties

We list the early ripening varieties of turnip:

• Geisha;
• Milanese pink;
• Grandfather;
• Glasha;
• May yellow;
• Granddaughter.

Mid-season varieties

Mid-season varieties include:

• Dunyasha;
• Moon;
• Nurse;
• Gribovskaya.

Late varieties

Late ripening varieties include:

• Comet;
• Orbit;
• Gribovskaya local.

Conclusion

Today turnips are experiencing a kind of revival. The renewed interest in it leads to the emergence of more and more new varieties. This unpretentious vegetable is once again becoming a regular on the tables and is increasingly being used in folk medicine. It is not for nothing that turnips are popularly called Russian ginseng or royal root.