When to plant turnip in Washington
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Washington's frost dates of Mar 24.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 3 – Mar 24
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 12 – Apr 27
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Sep 2 – Sep 16
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 19 – Nov 3
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Washington's 234-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip on Washington'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 24
NOV 17
Common questions
When can I sow turnip outdoors in Washington?
Direct-sow around early March (Mar 3–Mar 24) in Washington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 89%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Washington?
Expect to harvest from around mid April (Apr 12–Apr 27) in Washington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Washington?
Yes — Washington supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around early September (Sep 2–Sep 16), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Washington?
Washington 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 Washington's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.