If you don’t like turnips, this delightful, sweet gourmet root will change your mind! Former organic farmer and vegetable expert Logan Hailey digs into simple growing tips for refreshing crunchy Japanese turnips that even kids will crave! If you don’t like turnips, this delightful, sweet, gourmet root will change your mind! A lot of people wrinkle their noses at the thought of turnips. These mustard-family roots often get a bad rap for their slightly bitter taste, brownish-purple color, and association with “poor man’s” cuisine. But the Japanese ‘Hakurei’ turnip turns all these generalizations on their head. Its crisp, buttery smooth texture and mild refreshing flavor are wrapped in a gorgeous white package that tastes so sweet and juicy that it’s hard to even call it a turnip! ‘Hakurei’ turnips are the trendy foodie cousins of your grandma’s classic purple top turnips. The snow-white rounded roots have a delicate fruity flavor tasty enough to eat raw! They have recently gained popularity in American farm-to-table cuisine. Once you try them, you’ll probably never garden without them again. The ‘Hakurei’ is remarkably easy to grow, requiring similar space and maintenance to a radish. Just be sure you sow a lot because these roots disappear quickly once you discover how tasty they are straight from the garden. Let’s dig into everything you need to know about growing sweet Japanese turnips! Surely, they will reclaim the humble turnip’s reputation in the garden! History and Cultivation Turnips and their rutabaga relatives have been cultivated for thousands of years. Because the turnip root is so hardy, frost-resilient, and easy to grow, they were often considered a food source for the poor. The easily storable roots provided enough sustenance for farmers and livestock throughout the winter. European aristocrats refused to eat them. However, this humble vegetable was a staple for a reason: it is remarkably resilient! Turnips are simple to cultivate, low-maintenance, easy to store, and nutritious. Their native origins likely came from wild mustards growing throughout Europe and Asia. As members of the Brassicaceae or cruciferous family of vegetables, turnips are also related to broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. What is ‘Hakurei’ Turnip? ‘Hakurei’ is a variety of turnips with tender white round roots best harvested when they reach golf-ball size or slightly larger. The flavor is delicate and slightly fruity, between an apple and a mild radish. Unlike their dense storage root relatives, these fresh-eating turnips don’t need to be cooked and are often best enjoyed straight from the garden! You can prepare them in salads, slaws, kimchi, quick pickles, soups, roasts, and sautés across many cuisines. Also known as Tokyo turnips, salad turnips, or Japanese turnips, ‘Hakurei’ was developed in Japan around World War II and has since become a popular hybrid seed variety widely available in the United States. The root vegetable has a juicy, refreshing sweetness that can be enjoyed raw, pickled, boiled, or roasted, setting it apart from the dense starchiness of standard turnips or potatoes. Where Did ‘Hakurei’ Turnips Originate? ‘Hakurei’ turnips were developed by plant breeders in Japan during World War II. The mildly sweet, buttery-crisp roots have thin, pearly white skin that doesn’t require peeling or much cooking. As Japanese people faced severe food shortages in the 1940s and 50s, farmers and gardeners turned to this quick-growing, nutrient-dense crop to help feed masses of hungry people. Recall that Japan was prohibited from trade with the United States in 1941. Previously, they were heavily dependent on food imports. Farmers were forced to jump into action when international food was cut off practically overnight. ‘Hakurei’ turnips became an important substitute for the inadequate rations of rice, beans, and insects. They grow quickly and easily and can be eaten fresh. Propagation If you’ve ever grown a radish, you’ll be delighted to find that the delectably smooth and crisp ‘Hakurei’ requires almost the exact same care and conditions. The small black brassica seeds are best sown directly in the garden. Direct Sowing The best time to plant turnips is in the cool weather of fall or spring. However, you can plan for multiple successions of ‘Hakurei’ turnips throughout early summer. The plants tolerate moderate frost but prefer to germinate in cozy soil around 65-80°F. If you’re unsure, use a soil thermometer probe before planting. Prepare a weed-free seed bed, optionally raking smooth a 1” layer of compost over the surface. Create shallow furrows ¼” to ½” deep in rows 12-18” apart. Disperse the turnip seeds in 2-4” wide bands, each seed about 1-2” apart. Sowing in Clusters Some farmers sow in clusters of 2-3 seeds every 2”, allowing you to selectively harvest and thin them as they mature. Like radishes, salad turnips don’t mind growing in little bunches as long as there is room for each bulb to grow 1-2” in diameter. Avoid sowing too densely, or it will be difficult to sort through the jumble of greens to properly thin. Gently cover with a thin layer of soil. Avoid burying too deeply, or the seeds may not have enough energy to reach the surface. Maintain continuous moisture with a watering can or fan-nozzle hose. Germination takes 7-14 days. After germination, you can use your fingernails to pinch away any overcrowded seedlings. Be careful not to yank or disturb the baby plants you want to keep. Row Cover is Highly Recommended A row cover is highly recommended no matter where you direct seed your salad turnips. These quick-growing roots are, unfortunately, very popular amongst flea beetles. The flea beetles prey on young crops and can decimate the leaves with a million tiny shotgun holes that can quickly skeletonize seedlings. As an organic farmer, I never ever seeded turnips without a row cover. I left the row covers over the plants for the entirety of their 30 to 40-day lifecycle. The row fabric creates a physical barrier to keep pests out. It also creates a warm microclimate that can speed up germination. ‘Hakurei’ turnips grown under cover yield more beautiful, flawless, and blemish-free pearly white roots with tender mustardy greens. The key to successful row cover use is installing irrigation underneath the fabric. The soil moisture will be uneven if you try to overhead water through the fabric. It’s best to use drip lines or soaker hoses under the fabric. Otherwise, remove the fabric to water with a hose and drape it back over the top. No hoops are required for this low-growing crop. The fabric can gently “float” over the surface of the greens. Be sure you weigh down the edges with sandbags or smooth rocks to prevent the cover from blowing away. Transplanting from Cell Trays While less common, you can also transplant these turnips or grow them in containers. Many people believe it’s not possible to transplant taproot crops (this is true for carrots and fragile cucurbits), but turnips don’t mind transplanting. This is a great way to get a head start in spring and protect young plants from pests. Biodegradable pots or a paper pot are the best for transplanting root crops because you don’t have to remove the plant from the container. If you don’t have access to biodegradable pots, you can use a 144-cell tray. Fill containers with a well-drained soil mix and sow clusters of 2-3 turnip seeds in each cell. Seeds should be planted ¼ to ½ inch deep and lightly covered with vermiculite or potting mix. Maintain consistent moisture until germination, keeping the trays in the same full sunlight area as your other seedlings. When the seedlings are 2-4” tall, you can prepare them for transplanting by slowly reducing water and hardening them off for a few nights outdoors. Planting The best time to plant gourmet salad turnips is spring or fall. However, in mild climates, these quick-turnaround root crops can be sown in continuous succession throughout the summer. Here are some more details for a streamlined and successful planting process: How to Grow You will have no problem growing Tokyo turnips if you’ve successfully grown a radish. The keys to success are: Using row cover Loamy, well-drained soil Consistent moisture Proper spacing and thinning Timing your harvest

Would you like a beautiful low-growing wildflower for your woodland garden? Wood anemone is a spring-blooming perennial that will brighten a shaded plot with its delicate flowers. Join gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen as we introduce the wood anemone and everything you need to know to grow your own. More than one species of plant is known as the wood anemone. They are also sometimes called thimbleweed, windflower, or smell fox. Anemonoides quinquefolia, the American wood anemone, is a native wildflower found in eastern North American woodlands. Anemone nemorosa, the European wood anemone, is very similar in appearance but comes from Europe. Both are easy-to-grow members of the buttercup family (Ranunculeaceae). While there are wood anemones from different regions, they look fairly similar and share similar growing requirements. If you can provide their favored conditions, these vigorous plants are easy to grow and don’t require much extra effort. They are also hardy, deer-resistant, and don’t suffer from any notable pests or diseases. Wood anemones are low-growing, clump-forming perennials that make a beautiful addition to your shade garden. Allow them to naturalize for a gorgeous spring display but consider growing them with a variety of shade-loving neighbors to keep your shady garden plot green from spring through fall. Now, let’s dig right into the wonderful world of wood anemone flowers and learn how to grow them and help them thrive. Plant Natural History Wood anemones are woodland wildflowers. They inhabit moist hardwood forests, forest edges, thickets, and clearings. In their natural habitat, they form large colonies like a lush early spring carpet of green dotted with white flowers. They are often found interspersed with other spring woodland ephemeral wildflowers. There are several species of wood anemones from different regions. Anemonoides quinquefolia is native to central and eastern North America. Anemonoides oregana, also known as Oregon anemone, is native to the Pacific Northwest. Anemone occidentalis, also known as the western pasqueflower, is native to western North America. Anemone nemorosa is native to temperate regions of Europe and the Middle East. Characteristics Wood anemones are herbaceous perennials. They are also spring ephemeral flowers. Spring ephemerals are some of the first plants to emerge each year. They bloom early in the springtime and then go dormant again before summer’s end. Wood anemones start to develop leaves in late winter, typically before the surrounding trees are fully leafed out. The first warming days and rising ground temperatures trigger these plants to start growing. The leaves are deeply divided into three to five leaflets with coarsely toothed edges. The leaves are either solid dark green or edged with maroon, depending on the species or cultivar. Plants spread by vigorous root rhizomes to form attractive colonies on the forest floor. These are low-growing plants that make a good ground cover when allowed to spread for a while. As the weather warms into summer, however, the leaves die back into dormancy and remain dormant until the following winter and spring. Soon after the leaves emerge, wood anemones bloom with their delicate yet showy flowers. These flowers come in shades of white, pink, purple, and pale blue, depending on the species. The petals are simple and rounded, arranged in a radial pattern. Some species have as few as five petals, while others have considerably more. Cultivars with double flowers have many more petals, sometimes in varying sizes, arranged in multiple rows.

With the small-scale versatility and easy growing of ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ tomatoes, we’ll pluck the bright yellow rounds right from the porch in short order. The productive dwarf cherries are flavorful, colorful, and quick to mature among the group. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe explores the merits of this top-performing, compact variety for nearly effortless enjoyment this summer. With dwarf selections like ‘Patio Choice Yellow,’ there’s always room to tuck in more tomatoes. The productive fruiters on compact vines yield bright yellow rounds that are perfectly poppable right off the stem. Enjoy the sweet flavor of the sunny fruits fresh or in canning, roasting, and sauces. Sun-dry them for a tasty snack or topping. ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ lives up to its name as a fit for small spaces, easy to grow across garden scales. They suit containers in addition to raised beds and in-ground plantings. Arrange them with blooming annuals, perennials, and herbs for a potted display. Edible blooms like marigolds, calendula, and zinnia make a pretty complement. They even grow beautifully in hanging baskets; add growing space by going vertical, and keep them nearby for easy picking. ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ is an early producer, ideal for climates with short growing seasons and also for quicker tomato gratification, as other varieties continue to ripen on the vine. They’re high-yielding and disease-resistant, performing and producing even in heat and humidity. What Are ‘Patio Choice’ Tomatoes? ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ is a top dwarf or “bush” variety, able to fill a pot or small space with loads of tasty, bright yellow globes. The ‘Patio’ series features hybrids bred to have compact branching and bountiful cherry tomato production on determinate vines. ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ is an All-America Selections award winner for its productive yields, compact habit, and easy care. A big contribution to its low-maintenance is strong disease resistance. The variety resists tobacco mosaic virus, Fusarium wilt, and Verticillium wilt, all common fungal problems of the genus. The ‘Patio’ series is, by design, tailored to pots and containers. They open up food production in a variety of growing situations with ease, from balconies to sunny porches to tucking in beds and borders. Characteristics ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ is a determinate variety that reaches just 18 inches tall and 20 inches wide. In prolific clusters, a single plant produces 100 or more of the bright gold cherries. The fruits have a mild flavor, sweet with slight acidity. ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ matures early and is ready to harvest around 45 days after transplanting (65 days from sowing). The “perfect” flowers are self-pollinating and don’t rely on insects or pollen from another plant to produce fruit. Each yellow globe is one to one and a half inches across and weighs half an ounce. Cherry tomato clusters begin ripening at the stem and progress to the tips. The ripening phases stagger the harvest over a few days and create an attractive look to the plant with bunches of green, yellow, and rich gold tomatoes. They flower and ripen over about four to five weeks. As a determinate selection and a particularly compact one, ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ doesn’t require staking or caging. The bush is self-supporting, though you can insert a small stake to keep clusters and stems upright. Let the globes ripen on the vine or pick them a few days early to fully ripen indoors. Harvesting a little early keeps them from birds and prevents cracking from the sun or filling with excess water. Picking early, as they begin to show good color, won’t compromise flavor. Native Area ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ is a hybrid from Seeds By Design, a California-based distributor of specialty selections. Its wild, tropical ancestors originate in South America, with a growing range from the coast to the Andes from Ecuador to Chile. The original cherry tomato, a wild, weedy plant with little fruits, dates to Ecuador some 80,000 years ago. With cultivation, spreading, and trade, the range expanded to Central America and further into South America. Explorers from Spain brought domesticated tomatoes to Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, but they were slow to catch on. Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, with peppers, eggplants, tobacco, and many herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees. Nightshades include highly toxic species, giving plant collectors pause in eating tomatoes. Planting The compact, determinate selection does best with an in-bed spacing of 12 to 15 inches apart. In containers, five gallons allows ample soil volume. Opt for five gallons or larger for mixed arrangements, like combining the dwarf tomatoes with companions. The annuals (or tender perennials in zones 10-11) are frost-sensitive and require warm air and soil temperatures for best growth. They grow easily from seed, whether started indoors or direct sown. Start seeds indoors five to six weeks before the final frost date, and transplant seedlings one to two weeks after, as nighttime temperatures are above 55°F (13°C). Direct sow as soil temperatures rise above 60°F (16°C). For the heat-loving vegetables, soils between 70-90°F (21-32°C) are optimal for germination. When feasible, nightshade members benefit from crop rotation yearly because of shared pests and diseases. For ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ in the ground, choose a spot where you haven’t grown other nightshades (eggplants, tomatillos, potatoes, peppers, and other tomatoes) in the past year for a clean plot. At planting, go a little deep with stems. Each hair on the stem has the potential to set a root. More roots mean a vigorous system for strong, stable plants with increased nutrient and water absorption for best fruiting. How to Grow ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ is easygoing as tomatoes go. The right site and cultural conditions bring the best vigor and fruiting. Plenty of sunlight, even moisture, and good air circulation are key to tomato plant health. Maintenance ‘Patio Choice Yellow’ is dense and leafy. The self-supporting bush type doesn’t need pruning. If using a small stake to hold stems and clusters upright, tie off stems every several inches as they reach their maximum of 18 inches. Mulching is a good practice to insulate roots, regulate soil temperatures, and retain moisture. Initially, hold off on mulch to let the sun warm the roots of tender seedlings. When stems inch toward their mature height, layer two to three inches of weed-free straw around the base.