When to plant turnip in Ottawa
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Ottawa's frost dates of May 6.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 15 – May 6
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 25 – Jun 9
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Ottawa's 149-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Ottawa'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
FROST
MAY 6
OCT 2
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Ottawa?
Direct-sow around mid April (Apr 15–May 6) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 84%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Ottawa?
Expect to harvest from around late May (May 25–Jun 9) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
How long is the growing season in Ottawa?
Ottawa has roughly 149 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 Ottawa's frost dates.
Confidence 84/100 · NOAA GHCN-Daily · 1991–2020 normals · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.