When to plant turnip in Knoxville
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Knoxville's frost dates of Apr 8.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 18 – Apr 8
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 27 – May 12
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 13 – Aug 27
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Sep 29 – Oct 14
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Knoxville's 201-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Knoxville'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 8
OCT 28
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Knoxville?
Direct-sow around mid March (Mar 18–Apr 8) in Knoxville, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 89%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Knoxville?
Expect to harvest from around late April (Apr 27–May 12) in Knoxville, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Knoxville?
Yes — Knoxville supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around mid August (Aug 13–Aug 27), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Knoxville?
Knoxville has roughly 201 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 Knoxville's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.