In case you don’t like turnips, this pleasant, candy, connoisseur root will change your thoughts! Lots of people wrinkle their noses on the considered turnips. These mustard-family roots typically get a nasty rap for his or her barely bitter style, brownish-purple colour, and affiliation with “poor man’s” delicacies. However the Japanese ‘Hakurei’ turnip turns all these generalizations on their head.
Its crisp, buttery easy texture and delicate refreshing taste are wrapped in a stunning white package deal that tastes so candy and juicy that it’s arduous to even name it a turnip! ‘Hakurei’ turnips are the stylish foodie cousins of your grandma’s basic purple prime turnips. The snow-white rounded roots have a fragile fruity taste tasty sufficient to eat uncooked! They’ve not too long ago gained reputation in American farm-to-table delicacies. When you strive them, you’ll most likely by no means backyard with out them once more.
The ‘Hakurei’ is remarkably simple to develop, requiring related area and upkeep to a radish. Simply make sure you sow quite a bit as a result of these roots disappear shortly when you uncover how tasty they’re straight from the backyard. Let’s dig into all the pieces you’ll want to learn about rising candy Japanese turnips! Certainly, they’ll reclaim the standard turnip’s fame within the backyard!
‘Hakurei’ Turnip Overview
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Historical past and Cultivation
Turnips and their rutabaga kin have been cultivated for hundreds of years. As a result of the turnip root is so hardy, frost-resilient, and straightforward to develop, they have been typically thought-about a meals supply for the poor. The simply storable roots offered sufficient sustenance for farmers and livestock all through the winter. European aristocrats refused to eat them.
Nevertheless, this humble vegetable was a staple for a cause: it’s remarkably resilient! Turnips are easy to domesticate, low-maintenance, simple to retailer, and nutritious. Their native origins doubtless got here from wild mustards rising all through Europe and Asia. As members of the Brassicaceae or cruciferous household of greens, turnips are additionally associated to broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi.
What’s ‘Hakurei’ Turnip?
‘Hakurei’ is quite a lot of turnips with tender white spherical roots finest harvested once they attain golf-ball dimension or barely bigger. The flavour is delicate and barely fruity, between an apple and a gentle radish.
Not like their dense storage root kin, these fresh-eating turnips don’t should be cooked and are sometimes finest loved straight from the backyard! You’ll be able to put together them in salads, slaws, kimchi, fast pickles, soups, roasts, and sautés throughout many cuisines.
Also called Tokyo turnips, salad turnips, or Japanese turnips, ‘Hakurei’ was developed in Japan round World Conflict II and has since develop into a well-liked hybrid seed selection broadly accessible in america. The foundation vegetable has a juicy, refreshing sweetness that may be loved uncooked, pickled, boiled, or roasted, setting it aside from the dense starchiness of ordinary turnips or potatoes.
The place Did ‘Hakurei’ Turnips Originate?
‘Hakurei’ turnips have been developed by plant breeders in Japan throughout World Conflict II. The mildly candy, buttery-crisp roots have skinny, pearly white pores and skin that doesn’t require peeling or a lot cooking. As Japanese individuals confronted extreme meals shortages within the Nineteen Forties and 50s, farmers and gardeners turned to this quick-growing, nutrient-dense crop to assist feed plenty of hungry individuals.
Recall that Japan was prohibited from commerce with america in 1941. Beforehand, they have been closely depending on meals imports. Farmers have been pressured to leap into motion when worldwide meals was reduce off virtually in a single day. ‘Hakurei’ turnips turned an vital substitute for the insufficient rations of rice, beans, and bugs. They develop shortly and simply and may be eaten recent.
Propagation
In case you’ve ever grown a radish, you’ll be delighted to seek out that the delectably easy and crisp ‘Hakurei’ requires nearly the very same care and circumstances. The small black brassica seeds are finest sown instantly within the backyard.
Direct Sowing
The perfect time to plant turnips is within the cool climate of fall or spring. Nevertheless, you possibly can plan for a number of successions of ‘Hakurei’ turnips all through early summer season. The vegetation tolerate reasonable frost however desire to germinate in cozy soil round 65-80°F. In case you’re not sure, use a soil thermometer probe earlier than planting.
Put together a weed-free seed mattress, optionally raking easy a 1” layer of compost over the floor. Create shallow furrows ¼” to ½” deep in rows 12-18” aside. Disperse the turnip seeds in 2-4” extensive bands, every seed about 1-2” aside.
Sowing in Clusters
Some farmers sow in clusters of 2-3 seeds each 2”, permitting you to selectively harvest and skinny them as they mature. Like radishes, salad turnips don’t thoughts rising in little bunches so long as there may be room for every bulb to develop 1-2” in diameter. Keep away from sowing too densely, or will probably be tough to type via the jumble of greens to correctly skinny.
Gently cowl with a skinny layer of soil. Keep away from burying too deeply, or the seeds might not have sufficient power to achieve the floor. Preserve steady moisture with a watering can or fan-nozzle hose.
Germination takes 7-14 days. After germination, you should utilize your fingernails to pinch away any overcrowded seedlings. Watch out to not yank or disturb the child vegetation you need to preserve.
Row Cowl is Extremely Really helpful
A row cowl is very really helpful irrespective of the place you direct seed your salad turnips. These quick-growing roots are, sadly, very talked-about amongst flea beetles. The flea beetles prey on younger crops and may decimate the leaves with one million tiny shotgun holes that may shortly skeletonize seedlings.
As an natural farmer, I by no means ever seeded turnips with no row cowl. I left the row covers over the vegetation for the whole lot of their 30 to 40-day lifecycle. The row cloth creates a bodily barrier to maintain pests out. It additionally creates a heat microclimate that may pace up germination. ‘Hakurei’ turnips grown underneath cowl yield extra lovely, flawless, and blemish-free pearly white roots with tender mustardy greens.
The important thing to profitable row cowl use is putting in irrigation beneath the material. The soil moisture shall be uneven should you attempt to overhead water via the material. It’s finest to make use of drip strains or soaker hoses underneath the material. In any other case, take away the material to water with a hose and drape it again excessive. No hoops are required for this low-growing crop. The material can gently “float” over the floor of the greens. Be certain you crush the perimeters with sandbags or easy rocks to stop the quilt from blowing away.
Transplanting from Cell Trays
Whereas much less frequent, you too can transplant these turnips or develop them in containers. Many individuals imagine it’s not attainable to transplant taproot crops (that is true for carrots and fragile cucurbits), however turnips don’t thoughts transplanting. This can be a nice technique to get a head begin in spring and shield younger vegetation from pests.
Biodegradable pots or a paper pot are the finest for transplanting root crops since you don’t should take away the plant from the container. In case you don’t have entry to biodegradable pots, you should utilize a 144-cell tray.
Fill containers with a well-drained soil combine and sow clusters of 2-3 turnip seeds in every cell. Seeds must be planted ¼ to ½ inch deep and flippantly lined with vermiculite or potting combine. Preserve constant moisture till germination, maintaining the trays in the identical full daylight space as your different seedlings.
When the seedlings are 2-4” tall, you possibly can put together them for transplanting by slowly decreasing water and hardening them off for a number of nights outdoor.
Planting
The perfect time to plant connoisseur salad turnips is spring or fall. Nevertheless, in delicate climates, these quick-turnaround root crops may be sown in steady succession all through the summer season. Listed below are some extra particulars for a streamlined and profitable planting course of:
Spacing
The spacing for salad turnips depends upon how massive you need the roots to be. Radish-sized or golf-ball-sized turnips may be spaced 1-2” aside or grown in clusters of 2-3 turnips with 2-3” between every cluster. Go away 12-18” between the rows to permit area for the greens to proliferate.
Tips on how to Transplant
In case you select to transplant ‘Hakurei’ turnips, the cluster-sowing methodology helps stop root injury. The teams of 2-3 seedlings per cell ought to seem sturdy and vibrant earlier than transferring them into the backyard. Make sure the roots fill out the cells so the foundation ball stays pretty intact if you take away it.
Put together your mattress like a seed mattress, amending it with a skinny layer of compost on prime. Make small “dibbles” the place every group of turnips will go, and make sure the soil is totally loosened at the very least 6” deep. Don’t cram the cells into your backyard soil, otherwise you would possibly injury the taproots, inflicting the entire seedling to flop earlier than growing the rounded white bulb.
Succession Planting
You’ll most likely need a steady provide after you fall in love with these scrumptious turnips. Succession planting is the artwork of staggering your sowings so your turnips mature at completely different instances all through the season.
For a quick-growing crop like ‘Hakurei,’ you definitely don’t need dozens of roots within the floor directly. These crisp white veggies are finest loved once they’re younger and may get outsized pretty shortly. The bigger turnips are nonetheless tasty however not as tender and candy.
Seed Each 1-2 Weeks
To get pleasure from common harvests of completely sized roots, seed a row of Tokyo turnips each 1-2 weeks. As you end harvesting your early spring planting, the following succession shall be nearing golf-ball dimension, and a 3rd succession shall be germinating. This lets you maximize recent harvests all through the season with out occupying an excessive amount of backyard area.
You’ll be able to technically seed turnips all through the spring, early summer season, and autumn. The one time I’d keep away from rising these turnips is within the peak summer season warmth of July and August, generally into September within the southwest. In hotter climates, the scorching summers could cause bolting or overly spicy, intense roots. Save your turnips and radishes for barely cooler climate and savor them round instances of sunshine frosts, as that is when the roots are the sweetest.
How Lengthy Does It Take for ‘Hakurei’ Turnips to Develop?
Younger, golf-ball-sized turnips may be harvested as shortly as 30 days after seeding. Bigger salad turnips take 40-50 days. The roots have smoother skins and a extra tender texture when harvested small. The greens are additionally much less spicy when picked early.
Tips on how to Develop
You should have no drawback rising Tokyo turnips should you’ve efficiently grown a radish. The keys to success are:
- Utilizing row cowl
- Loamy, well-drained soil
- Constant moisture
- Correct spacing and thinning
- Timing your harvest
Right here’s a number of extra particulars:
Gentle
These refreshing roots require full solar to thrive. Select an space with at the very least 6-8 hours of direct daylight each day. Dappled shade is okay in southern climates. Nevertheless, an excessive amount of shade could cause “leggy” or spindly greens and small, underdeveloped roots. In case your turnips look pale inexperienced or develop very slowly, it’s most likely an indication that they aren’t getting sufficient mild.
Water
Constant moisture is vital for completely happy roots. Large fluctuations from bone-dry to soggy moist soil could cause bizarre mutations, illnesses, and undesirable texture. As an alternative, preserve a drip line or soaker hose close to every row of turnips. These bulbs are very shallow-rooted and solely entry water throughout the higher 3-4” of soil.
Irrigating on the base is essential, particularly when utilizing row cowl (which is very really helpful). Overhead sprinklers might have problem saturating the foundation zone and may trigger illness issues on the leaves.
As soon as established, turnips usually want about 1 inch of water per week. Test the soil moisture each couple of days within the early levels. Stick your finger within the grime and gauge the moisture primarily based on how a lot soil sticks to your pores and skin. In case your pores and skin comes out clear, it’s too dry. The soil is simply too moist in case your finger comes out wanting as if you simply dipped it in brownie batter. Discover a completely happy medium the place slightly little bit of soil sticks to your pores and skin and feels pleasantly moist, like a wrung-out sponge.
Soil
Loamy, wealthy, well-drained soil is important for completely happy vegetable roots. Guarantee your backyard mattress has loads of high quality compost and natural matter combined into it. As a result of ‘Hakurei’ are pretty shallow-rooted, you possibly can develop them in decrease beds as quick as 8” deep. I wish to put them within the Birdie’s City Brief 9-in-1 Metallic Raised Mattress. Save your tall raised beds for deep-rooted crops like carrots, tomatoes, candy potatoes, and cucumbers.
The soil ought to really feel mild and fluffy. Whether it is heavy and compacted, the turnips could have problem penetrating the higher layers and forming wholesome, tender roots. Typically, they’ll even try and develop above the soil floor as a result of their taproots aren’t robust sufficient to interrupt via arduous soil. On this case, a broad fork is the right technique to aerate your soil and add oxygen to the decrease layers. This additionally improves drainage, water infiltration, and useful microbial exercise.
Local weather and Temperature
Like most brassica-family crops, turnips get pleasure from cool climate and have a tendency to bolt in excessive warmth. The best ambient temperature is 50 to 70°F. When established, these roots are mildly frost tolerant. In hotter climates, use shade fabric or solely plant within the spring and fall. Hotter climate usually yields strong-flavored roots which will have extra of a radish-like spice.
The perfect soil temperature vary for preferrred germination is 65-80°F, however they will germinate in soils as chilly as 60°F. When doubtful, use a soil thermometer probe to examine your mattress temperatures earlier than seeding.
Fertilizing
These pretty root veggies don’t want a variety of fertility to thrive. Oftentimes, a wealthy compost is a lot to make sure an plentiful harvest. In case your soil lacks fertility, add a small dose of natural all-purpose fertilizer to slow-release all through the rising season. Keep away from something with extreme nitrogen, as this could gas large inexperienced progress on the expense of root improvement.
Row Cowl
If you wish to develop flawless pearly white ‘Hakurei’ turnips like a professional, don’t skip this step! Row cowl is a semi-translucent woven agricultural cloth that permits water, daylight, and air in however retains pests out.
Flea beetles are a serious situation with this crop. Root maggots may also be problematic, they usually develop from a small grey fly that may be excluded with a canopy. You most likely don’t need to spray your turnips on a regular basis, so be sure you use this underrated backyard software!
Toss or “float” the material excessive of the mattress when seeding. Preserve the row cowl on for the crop’s whole lifespan. Reduce your row covers to the right dimension on your beds (leaving a foot on either side to anchor them down) so you should utilize them for each succession.
That is the greatest farmer’s secret to lovely salad turnips:
- Seed the mattress
- Water the seeds in
- Lay down your drip strains (to irrigate beneath the material
- Safe the row cowl with sandbags or easy rocks
- Go away some unfastened overhead area for progress
Take away the row cloth when you’ll want to skinny, weed, or harvest, then toss it again on. Flea beetles can odor these roots from a mile away, and as soon as a number of get beneath the quilt, your turnips may very well be doomed.
Varieties
‘Hakurei’ is usually used synonymously with ‘Tokyo’ turnip, salad turnip, and Japanese turnip. Nevertheless, a few variations of this candy, fresh-eating turnip reclaim the tarnished fame of the basic ‘Purple Prime’ turnip. Relaxation assured, we don’t imply to hate on the old style turnips; they will nonetheless be scrumptious when grown and ready correctly!
‘Hakurei’
The unique F1 hybrid, ‘Hakurei,’ is the superior selection for recent consuming. The delicate taste, low spice, and tender apple-like crunch are delectable.
The roots are chosen for near-perfect white skins, juicy texture, and fruity taste notes. Bear in mind, you possibly can’t save true-to-type seeds from hybrids, so this cultivar must be repurchased each season.
‘Tokyo Cross’
Similar to ‘Hakurei,’ that is one other white Japanese hybrid that gained the All-American Choice award. The proper globe-shaped roots mature in 25-45 days and have nice bolt resistance. It’s generally known as kabu, kabura, or manjing in Japanese.
‘Hirosaki Pink’
An early vivid purple salad turnip, ‘Hirosaki Pink,’ provides colour to your spring salads. They’re barely spicier than Tokyo turnips however much less intense than a radish. We love the tender, juicy texture and fairly pink skins.
Pests and Ailments
Turnips are pretty resilient to pests and illnesses. Because of their fast progress cycle, you possibly can simply keep away from injury or alternatively pull a crop and begin over if issues go awry.
Flea Beetles
As talked about above, flea beetles can odor turnips and radishes from lengthy distances and are available with a vengeance. These shiny little beetles can put one million tiny holes in your turnip greens in a number of days.
Fortuitously, prevention is straightforward! Don’t skimp on the row cowl! Bodily exclusion is the simplest and most ecological technique to preserve these pests out. You may also use a diluted neem oil resolution and companion planting with white alyssum, dill, or yarrow to draw parasitic wasps and different pure predators.
Root Maggots and Cabbage Flies
These pests are simple to exclude when utilizing row cowl. Root maggots are the larvae of a tiny grey fly, so should you preserve the fly out, you need to be capable to keep away from them.
Nevertheless, if root maggots take maintain in your turnips, they impede water uptake, so the vegetation might seem wilted in broad daylight, even with loads of soil moisture. The perfect motion is to drag the crop and begin over in one other backyard space utilizing a row cowl!
Alternaria Leaf Spot
Alternaria leaf spot is a standard fungal illness that resembles bleached or yellow splotches on the leaves. The lesions are likely to develop between the leaf veins and are lined with brown margins.
The simplest prevention is to keep away from overhead irrigation. The illness is usually beauty (harming your enjoyment of gorgeous turnip greens) however also can hinder photosynthesis. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to water on the base.
Black Rot
This damaging bacterial illness assaults the leaves of turnips and rutabagas, shortly killing the crop. The primary signal is yellowing of the decrease leaves and V-shaped lesions alongside the leaf edges. Ultimately, the leaf veins flip black and start to die.
Supply disease-free seeds from a good firm and instantly eliminate any contaminated vegetation.
Downy Mildew
Identical to leaf spot, downy mildew tends to develop on the foliage everytime you water overhead. Preserve turnip greens as dry as attainable and widen your spacing in humid climates to keep up ample airflow. In excessive circumstances, you possibly can strive an organic-approved copper fungicide to sluggish the unfold.
Plant Makes use of
All elements of this plant are edible. Whereas the roots are most favored, the greens may be sauteed and used like kale in lots of dishes. Take pleasure in Tokyo turnips uncooked, cooked, or fermented. They’re scrumptious when shredded right into a salad or slaw or sliced and eaten with hummus.
You’ll be able to roast them entire with potatoes, beets, and radishes. They make an unimaginable addition to fast pickles or fermented kimchi blends. Better of all, ‘Hakurei’ turnips are a refreshing and hydrating summer season snack straight from the soil.
FAQs
All turnip leafy greens are edible, and when harvested younger, they are often fairly scrumptious. The inexperienced tops are finest chopped up and added on the finish of a root saute till barely wilted. Season with salt, olive oil, and tamari or soy sauce so as to add taste. The greens get spicier in sizzling climate or because the crop ages.
The fragile, delicate taste of ‘Hakurei’ turnips differs from any turnip you’ve ever tried! They’re candy, crisp, and nearly fruity in taste. The feel is someplace between a crisp radish and a juicy apple. There may be little bitterness or spice except you permit the roots to get too massive. Develop in cool climate and harvest at 2-3” in diameter for the sweetest, most tender roots.
‘Hakurei’ are the one turnips you’ll need to eat uncooked! That is once they shine probably the most. Also called salad turnips, these connoisseur white roots are tender, candy, crisp, and refreshing. They don’t should be cooked and have a pure sweetness that units them aside from their kin. You’ll be able to pop them in your mouth entire or shred and grate them right into a salad or slaw. They’re additionally glorious in ferments or sautes with their greens.
Remaining Ideas
These distinctive connoisseur roots present a scrumptious reward for little or no effort! For probably the most profitable crop of ‘Hakurei,’ bear in mind to:
- Stagger your plantings each 1-2 weeks for a steady provide.
- Harvest younger for probably the most tender and candy roots, ideally when they’re golf ball-sized or barely bigger.
- All the time use a row cowl to guard from pest injury and guarantee clear, white pores and skin.
Don’t overlook to benefit from the nutritious greens or use them as a top quality compost ingredient!
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