Turnips

InTheMoorlands

Last  year was my first at gardening and we planted some turnips rather late in the year.  We are about 750 feet above sea level so it was too late and too cold. We ended up throwing them out.  We got a good start this year planting early in September.  The turnip leaves have grown a lot but I cannot see any turnip bulbs sticking out of the ground.  We had these last year even though they never grew very much.

Am I expecting too much too soon or is something else going on?

Thanks

MikeOxgreen

You're supposed to be harvesting them in September, not sowing them.

Lyn

Sow turnip seeds in September/October, mine are up now in the GH.   they’re a winter vegetable. 
I was a bit late sowing them, they went in homemade compost in the first week of October.  I need to thin them out a bit now. 
@InTheMoorlands. Give them time. 

war garden 572

what variety  of  turnip did you plant?

InTheMoorlands

The turnips plugs were Purple Top Milan, sold as being suitable for planting late summer.

We also planted some leeks - Musselburgh.  These are slowly coming along.

We cannot put these in the greenhouse as it now holds three pots of garlic and OH's extensive bonsai collection which must go inside in winter.

The turnips do seem to be doing well, but they are all leaves at the moment.

After last year we carefully chose the turnips and leeks as being suitable for where we are.  We are high up but the veg. garden is sheltered from the winds that we get, but unfortunately doesn't get much sun.  Not ideal, but we have to work with what we've got. 

Dovefromabove

Can you pop a cloche over them to give them a bit of encouragement?

Lyn

@InTheMoorlands. are you in the same moorlands as me,  we’re 960ft up? 

MikeOxgreen

Garlic can go outside if that helps. My Bonsai also stay outside, but they are all hardy species. 

InTheMoorlands

Can you pop a cloche over them to give them a bit of encouragement?

I'll look at this

are you in the same moorlands as me,  we’re 960ft up? 

Pennines for us - it gets a bit wild and windy where we are

Garlic can go outside if that helps. My Bonsai also stay outside, but they are all hardy species.

I did look at putting garlic outside but think it better off inside considering where we are.  Most of the bonsai are kept outside but a few have to go inside along with a load of succulents

MikeOxgreen

Garlic is fine outside, were at 1000ft on the Pennines btw, where The Brontes walked by. Whereabouts are you?

I've also got cactus and succulents sheltering in the PT, but one will have to be brought into the house before long (on a sack cart) as I'm told it'll get too cold in there for it, but it's already gone below what is considered safe and is fine. 
As it's quite old, has been with me a long time and is now about 10ft tall I don't want to risk losing it!

Skandi

Garlic doesn't want to be inside it needs to get cold or the bulbs won't split. I've had garlic happily go through -18C with no snow cover garlic planted now won't show itself until spring (in my climate) so it won't take any harm from wind.

With leeks you still need to plant them early even if they are winter leeks, they won't grow much now the days are short.

As for turnips, I only plant them in the spring, we don't have good enough weather for them to do anything over winter, they just rot with our constant wet, wind and freeze/thaw cycles.