and planted with turnip seed. It recommends planting in late May or June and weeding and thinning with a hoe throughout the summer. As a root crop, turnips grow best in cool weather; hot temperatures cause the roots to become woody and bad-tasting. They are typically planted in the spring in cold-weather climates (such as the northern US and Canada) where the growing season is only 3–4 months. In temperate climates (ones with a growing season of 5–6 months), turnips may also be planted in late summer for a second fall crop. In warm-weather climates (7 or more month growing season), they are planted in the fall. 55–60 days is the average time from planting to harvest. Turnips are a biennial plant, taking two years from germination to reproduction. The root spends the first year growing and storing nutrients, and the second year flowers, produces seeds, and dies. The flowers of the turnip are tall and yellow, with the seeds forming in pea-like pods. In areas with less than seven-month growing seasons, temperatures are too cold for the roots to survive the winter. To produce seeds, pulling the turnips and storing them over winter is necessary, taking care not to damage the leaves. During the spring, they may be set back in the ground to complete their lifecycle. Relevance in human use In England around 1700, Charles "Turnip" Townshend promoted the use of turnips in a four-year crop-rotation system that enabled year-round livestock feeding. In most of England, the smaller white vegetables are called turnips, while the larger yellow ones are referred to as swedes. In the United States, turnips are the same, but swedes are usually called rutabagas. Heraldry The turnip is an old vegetable charge in heraldry. It was used by Leonhard von Keutschach, prince-archbishop of Salzburg. The turnip is still the heart shield in the arms of Keutschach am See. The arms of the former municipality of Kiikala, Finland, were Gules, a turnip Or. See also Daikon DCPA, a commonly used herbicide in the growing of turnips Kohlrabi, aka "German turnip" Celeriac, aka "turnip-rooted celery" Nanakusa-no-sekku Turnip Prize Turnip Winter References External links Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne Alternative Field Crop Manual: Turnip Brassica Crops originating from Europe Leaf vegetables Root vegetables Crops