Fall Gardening - Turnip Root Vegetables

The turnip, however, is generally found in the spring and fall garden, for different reasons. In spring, it is grown for greens, while in fall it is grown mainly for roots. Other plants often a part of the fall garden include Chinese cabbage, leaf lettuce, semihead lettuce (Bibb, Buttercrunch and similar varieties), radish, beet, spinach, kale, cabbage and broccoli.

Although they are not a cool weather crop, green beans may also be planted for a fall crop. The bush varieties germinate rapidly and are able to produce a crop in about two months. The fall garden often is found in scattered spots where earlier crops such as onions, potatoes or lettuce have been harvested. The success of fall crops depends on getting seeds up quickly and seedlings growing rapidly.

To prepare for the fall garden, remove the old crop completely, and clean out all debris and weeds if soil has been very dry, water it thoroughly before digging, and allow it to dry enough so that it's not muddy to work. Next apply about one pound of a complete garden fertilizer per 100 square feet of planting area if the previous crop was fertilized well and grew vigorously, additional fertilizer may not be necessary

If however, plants did not grow well, or produced poorly, a slightly higher rate of fertilizer should be used. After the fertilizer has been scattered over the area, the soil should be dug or plowed deeply. After the seeds have been planted, the soil should be kept moist until germination has taken place. Heavy showers may crust over the soil and make emergence of the small seedlings difficult.

By keeping the surface moistened each day, seedlings will be able to break through. However, if daily sprinkling is not convenient, the rows may be covered with boards, burlap strips or weighted paper until the seedlings have come through. Keep daily watch, however, as the coverings must be removed promptly. This watch should start about third or fourth day after planting.

After removing the covering, water promptly. Many gardeners prefer to remove such coverings in the evening and provide partial cover during the first day or two until seedlings have greened up and adjusted. Watch closely for insect attacks. Serious damage to any small plant stunts growth and means less chance of a good crop as plants race with the coming of fall frosts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnip
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/fallgarden/fallindex.html