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Brassicaceae
Brassica rapa 'Purple Top White Globe'
Purple Top White Globe Turnip, Turnip
An heirloom turnip that remains highly popular, ‘Purple Top White Globe’ is grown for its tender young greens and its tasty bulbous root. This annual or biennial is one of numerous leafy vegetables belonging to Brassica rapa, which may have originated in central and southern Europe but is now cultivated and naturalized worldwide. The white, purple-capped turnips of this variety mature about 50 days after sowing. They grow to tennis ball size but are best when young and tender. The lobed leaves are good for salads, soups, and stir fries when young. They are large, rough, and somewhat leathery at maturity. The leaves grow in a loose upright rosette. Plants may "bolt" during hot weather or after prolonged chilly spells, producing tall sprays of bright yellow flowers. Rattlebox seed capsules follow, opening to scatter many reddish-brown to black seeds.
This cool weather crop prefers full sun and moderately fertile, humus-rich, slightly acid soil with ample drainage. Sow it in early spring before temperatures heat up or in late summer for fall harvesting. In areas with mild climates it makes an excellent winter crop. Bolting causes the roots to develop tough woody cores. This brassica tolerates freezing temperatures and often becomes more flavorful after frost. It is not a heavy feeder and may not need fertilizer if grown in rotation with nitrogen-fixing legumes. This wonderful vegetable is easy to grow and very tasty.
9 - 3
6 - 11
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun, Partial Sun
18"-24" / 45.7cm - 61.0cm
8"-18" / 20.3cm - 45.7cm
Spring, Summer, Late Winter
Europe
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Fast
Average Water
Upright/Erect
Spring, Fall, Winter
Showy
Yellow
Sienna, Black
Dark Green
No
Yes
Single
Medium
Matte
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Sometimes
Butterflies
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