When to plant turnip in Indianapolis
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Indianapolis's frost dates of Apr 17.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 27 – Apr 17
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 6 – May 21
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jul 30 – Aug 13
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Sep 15 – Sep 30
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Indianapolis's 178-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Indianapolis'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
APR 17
OCT 14
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Indianapolis?
Direct-sow around late March (Mar 27–Apr 17) in Indianapolis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 83%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Indianapolis?
Expect to harvest from around early May (May 6–May 21) in Indianapolis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 75%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Indianapolis?
Yes — Indianapolis supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around late July (Jul 30–Aug 13), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Indianapolis?
Indianapolis has roughly 178 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 Indianapolis's frost dates.
Confidence 83/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.