When to plant turnip in Chesapeake
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Chesapeake's frost dates of Mar 18.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Feb 25 – Mar 18
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 6 – Apr 21
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Sep 3 – Sep 17
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 20 – Nov 4
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Chesapeake's 248-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Chesapeake'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
MAR 18
NOV 18
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Chesapeake?
Direct-sow around late February (Feb 25–Mar 18) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 89%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Chesapeake?
Expect to harvest from around early April (Apr 6–Apr 21) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Chesapeake?
Yes — Chesapeake supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around early September (Sep 3–Sep 17), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Chesapeake?
Chesapeake has roughly 248 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 Chesapeake's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.