Turnip
Also called: لفت · شلغم · Lift · Shalgham
A traditional Gulf crop, pickled and served with grills. Fast, easy, and better suited to Qatar’s soil than carrot.
The year at a glance
Each month is split in half. The outline marks now.
Stage by stage
Stage 1 of 7
Seed
Days 0–3
Seed
Days 0–3The seed sits in the soil taking up water and swelling. Nothing shows above the surface — everything is happening underground.
Do now
- Water lightly and often so the soil stays damp but never soaked. Letting it dry out between waterings kills the seed before it sprouts.
- Cover the surface with a thin layer of straw or compost to slow evaporation and steady the temperature.
- Label what you sowed and when. You will need the date to work out the harvest.
Watch for
- A hard crust forming on sandy soil after watering, which traps the sprout underneath. Break it gently.
- Ants carrying small seeds away — a very common problem in Qatari gardens.
In Qatar
Sow after mid-October. Turnip sown in a hot September bolts before it makes a root.
Germination
Days 4–9The seed coat splits: a root pushes down and a shoot pushes up. The two seed leaves that appear are not true leaves — they are the seed’s own food store.
Do now
- Keep moisture constant. The first root is very fine and a single dry day can end the seedling.
- Remove any covering as soon as the first sprout shows, or it will stretch thin looking for light.
- Give bright, indirect light. Direct midday sun will scorch a new seedling within hours.
Watch for
- A long, thin, pale stem: the seedling is not getting enough light and will collapse.
- Sudden wilting with a pinched stem at soil level — damping off, caused by overwatering.
In Qatar
Fast, reliable germination — one of the easiest seeds here.
Seedling
Days 10–22The first true leaves appear, shaped differently from the seed leaves. The plant is now feeding itself and the roots are branching fast.
Do now
- Thin crowded seedlings and keep the strongest. Crowding gives you many weak plants instead of one good one.
- Start watering less often but more deeply, to drive the roots downwards.
- Harden the seedling off — build up its sun exposure over a week before transplanting.
Watch for
- Yellowing lower leaves: nitrogen shortage, very common in Qatar’s poor sandy soil.
- Small holes or chewed edges, meaning snails or young grasshoppers.
In Qatar
Thin to 12 cm. Turnip needs far more room than radish despite the family resemblance.
Top growth
Days 23–38The plant builds its leaves first. The root is still thin, but the size of the leaf canopy now decides the size of the root later.
Do now
- Thin to the recommended spacing. Crowding is the number one cause of small, deformed roots.
- Clear stones and clods from the soil around the plant. Any obstruction makes the root fork.
- Water regularly and deeply. Roots follow the water down.
Watch for
- Very lush leaves: too much nitrogen, and you will get foliage instead of a root.
- Compacted or very sandy soil stopping the root from expanding.
In Qatar
Best growth in November and December. Avoid letting this stage land in February’s warmth.
Root filling
Days 39–52The plant moves sugar from the leaves down into the root, which swells fast. You can often see the shoulder pushing above the soil.
Do now
- Keep watering perfectly steady. Swinging between dry and drenched splits the root.
- Cover any exposed shoulder with soil or mulch to stop it greening and going tough.
- Stop nitrogen completely and switch to potassium.
Watch for
- A lengthwise split in the root after a sudden heavy watering.
- Fine tunnels on the root surface, meaning root fly.
In Qatar
The root swells partly above the soil. That is normal for turnip and needs no earthing up.
Harvest
Days 53–85The root has reached size. Leaving it past this window makes it woody, hot-tasting or hollow.
Do now
- Water a few hours before lifting so the root pulls cleanly out of sandy soil.
- Lever from the side with a fork rather than pulling the leaves, which just snap off.
- Cut the tops off right after lifting, or they draw moisture out of the root.
Watch for
- A cracked or hollow root from harvesting too late.
- A sharp, hot taste, which means heat stress during growth.
In Qatar
Harvest in passes December to February. Small turnips are far sweeter than large ones.
End of cycle
Days 86–110The plant’s cycle is over. The roots left behind break down and add organic matter if you leave them.
Do now
- Cut the plant at soil level and leave the roots in place to rot down.
- Sow a crop from a different family in the same spot to break the pest cycle.
- Add compost and cover the soil before the summer heat.
Watch for
- Planting the same family twice running in the same bed.
- Leaving the soil bare in the sun all summer.
In Qatar
Do not follow with cabbage or radish in the same spot — same family, shared diseases.
- Water
- Medium
- Salt tolerance
- Medium
- Heat tolerance
- Low
2.5 L/week in winter, 6 L in summer
Soil preparation
Wants 20 cm of fine soil. Add well-rotted compost, never fresh manure.
Pests
Flea beetle
- Sign
- Small shot-holes across the young leaves.
- What to do
- Cover with fine mesh from sowing.
Cabbage worm
- Sign
- Broad chewing and green droppings.
- What to do
- Pick them off by hand, or use Bt.
Common problems
Woody, sharp-tasting root
- Cause
- Harvesting late.
- Fix
- Lift at 5–7 cm. Big turnips go woody faster here than the books suggest.
Split root
- Cause
- Irregular watering.
- Fix
- Water a little daily rather than a lot weekly.
Picking
Lift at 5–7 cm. The young tops are eaten cooked and are very high in iron.
Keeping
Two weeks refrigerated, or pickle it with salt and beetroot the Gulf way and it keeps for months.