When to plant turnip in Christchurch
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Christchurch's frost dates of Oct 16.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Sep 25 – Oct 16
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Nov 4 – Nov 19
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Mar 4 – Mar 18
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Apr 20 – May 5
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Christchurch's 211-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Christchurch'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 16
MAY 19
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Christchurch?
Direct-sow around late September (Sep 25–Oct 16) in Christchurch, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 45%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Christchurch?
Expect to harvest from around early November (Nov 4–Nov 19) in Christchurch, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 40%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Christchurch?
Yes — Christchurch supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around early March (Mar 4–Mar 18), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Christchurch?
Christchurch has roughly 211 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 Christchurch's frost dates.
Confidence 45/100 · Curated · based on NASA POWER (modeled) 1991–2020 · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.