When to plant turnip in Philadelphia
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Philadelphia's frost dates of Mar 28.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 7 – Mar 28
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 16 – May 1
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Sep 7 – Sep 21
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 24 – Nov 8
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Philadelphia's 234-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Philadelphia'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 28
NOV 22
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Philadelphia?
Direct-sow around early March (Mar 7–Mar 28) in Philadelphia, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 87%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Philadelphia?
Expect to harvest from around mid April (Apr 16–May 1) in Philadelphia, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 78%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Philadelphia?
Yes — Philadelphia supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around early September (Sep 7–Sep 21), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia has roughly 234 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 Philadelphia's frost dates.
Confidence 87/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.