When to plant turnip in Canberra
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Canberra's frost dates of Oct 10.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Sep 19 – Oct 10
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Oct 29 – Nov 13
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Feb 11 – Feb 25
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Mar 30 – Apr 14
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Canberra's 204-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Canberra's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
OCT 10
APR 28
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Canberra?
Direct-sow around mid September (Sep 19–Oct 10) in Canberra, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 83%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Canberra?
Expect to harvest from around late October (Oct 29–Nov 13) in Canberra, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 75%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Canberra?
Yes — Canberra supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around mid February (Feb 11–Feb 25), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Canberra?
Canberra has roughly 204 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow turnip to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow turnip as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Canberra's frost dates.
Confidence 83/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.