what makes these turnips so huge?

my uncles grows these turnips in his garden.


this one weighed 19 pounds! they dont all grow this large, so he doeskin use anything different on them. so, what makes some of them grow so huge?

turnips are still doing good. all three have tops growing like crazy. looks good for maybe going to seed this spring, when i set them out.

Wowsers! That's one big turnip! I guess there is some basis to the Russian fairy tale of the Enormous Turnip...



I hope someone knows why/how they get so big!

Wow, nice picture! I have never seen a turnip like that, but I have grown rutabagas (Swede turnips) that were almost that large. Could your vegetable be a rutabaga? I didn't do anything special for mine, just got lucky with weather conditions; the right amount of heat, sunlight, and plenty of rainwater to plump them up.

I once had a section of giant carrots, almost as thick as my forearm. I attributed them to a late spring deluge that washed the top-dressed compost and sand into the slightly lower lying area. This area also held rain water a bit longer than areas just a few feet away. More water, washed in nutrients, and looser soil due to the sand, something is just a little better in the micro-climate around that particular plant/group. Brassicas store nutrients in their leaves, stems, or roots and if the conditions are just perfect, they can store A LOT of fuel for their next years growth. It's not uncommon for one plant (or a few neighbors) to grow huge, while the rest of the row is normal. Usually, but not always, if you look at the area, you will be able to find the difference that gave those plants the perfect conditions. Better light, more water, washed in organic matter, less competition, something is usually different. Of course there are the occasional genetic variations that could be at play, but that is not as common as conditions being the culprit.

my turnips are extra large this year also
I broadcast mine and usually have full coverage along with elbon rye or wheat or oats but this year they all didn't come up but what did is huge .
have one as big as a basket ball.

now we are getting somewhere! jimmy these seeds came from texas. my uncle brought them back from a visit home in east texas. interesting that they mite be from the same place.

Will you replant the big one and save seeds from it? Who knows, you might have a unique genetic variation.

Turnips are out breeders, I think, so you'll need more than one for seeds. You can replant your biggest and best ones come spring, and when they bolt, gather the seeds.

ronald bush wrote:now we are getting somewhere! jimmy these seeds came from texas. my uncle brought them back from a visit home in east texas. interesting that they mite be from the same place.

mine came from LLong feed and seed Mineola Texas
could be from same suppler

r ranson, thats the plan. i have three under lights in my basement. be interesting to see what they do after setting tem out in spring. could they seed by mid summer, in time for fall crop?

i bet so jimmy! he comes from around jackson area. funny how things come together. next time your in there can you ask them where they come from sir. if its the seed, i bet they had other inquiries.

here is the biggest one i have alive. the other two are runts by comparison. there is a 5 gallon bucket with tomato in it, to judge size.

ronald bush wrote:r ranson, thats the plan. i have three under lights in my basement. be interesting to see what they do after setting tem out in spring. could they seed by mid summer, in time for fall crop?

i bet so jimmy! he comes from around jackson area. funny how things come together. next time your in there can you ask them where they come from sir. if its the seed, i bet they had other inquiries.

I saved seeds from some turnips last year. I had just tossed my turnips in the crisper in the fridge as the first frost came on, and then forgot about them. Come Feb or Mar, I found them again and planted the 6 best keepers in the greenhouse. They went to seed sometime in May, I think. I planted the seeds again in Aug and it made a good crop. The greenhouse was pretty hot and dry, so it would probably seed later in the garden.

thanks for the encouraging words!