Turnips

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Maincrop varieties are easy to grow and quick to mature. Early varieties are a little less tolerant to any check in their growth - and they will lose in sweetness and tenderness.
How to
* Turnips like a firm, rich soil; dig and manure in autumn, allow to consolidate, and add lime if necessary. Do not fork in spring.
* sow seed thinly in shallow drills, directly in their final bed.
* For green turnip tops from an August sowing of main crops, the rows should be 3 inches apart;
* For early varieties, the rows should be 9 inches apart;
* and for main crop variety, 12 inches apart.
* Thin the seedlings to about 5 inches apart (earlies), or 9 inches (main crop).
* Harvest -
* Pull earlies while they are still small; golf ball size for eating raw, tennis ball size for cooking;
* Lift main crop as soon as they are ready - the longer they are in the more flavour they will lose. Best to lift all still in the ground in November and store in a cool dry place.
* Cut the tops of turnips grown for spring green when they are about 5 inches high; the tops will regrow, so leave them to resprout.