Turnip
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Also called Neep
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitPull them at golf-ball size. Anything bigger goes woody in the middle and nothing improves it.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 3 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 21 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Very hardy RHS H7, to -25°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Biennial
- Origin
- Europe and Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects horses. Signs: stomach and gut irritation, with belly pain (colic).
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and Clemson HGIC on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A fine peppering of round shot-holes across the seed leaves days after germination, and beetles that jump when the row is disturbed.Flea beetle · pest
- Seedlings wilting at midday and never picking up, with the root eaten away before the swelling is thumb-sized.Cabbage root fly · pest
- Leaves flagging in warm weather in one patch of the bed, and a lifted plant carrying a lumpy distorted root rather than a clean round one.Club root · disease