When to plant turnip in Richmond
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Richmond's frost dates of Apr 1.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 11 – Apr 1
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 20 – May 5
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 20 – Sep 3
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 6 – Oct 21
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Richmond's 217-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Richmond'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 1
NOV 4
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Richmond?
Direct-sow around mid March (Mar 11–Apr 1) in Richmond, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 88%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Richmond?
Expect to harvest from around mid April (Apr 20–May 5) in Richmond, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 79%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Richmond?
Yes — Richmond supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around mid August (Aug 20–Sep 3), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Richmond?
Richmond has roughly 217 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 Richmond's frost dates.
Confidence 88/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.