Best Fertilizer for Turnips
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GardenSays
Work about 0.5 lb of all-purpose garden fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10); low- or no-phosphorus unless a soil test calls for P into your 32 sq ft bed before planting.
- Fertilizer
- all-purpose
- Amount
- ≈ 0.5 lb
- Next feeding
- Not yet sourced
For a 32 sq ft bed, that's roughly 0.5 lb (8 oz) of fertilizer, spread evenly and worked into the top 6 inches a few days before planting. A soil test beats any rule of thumb — if you have one, follow it instead.
- Don't use a 'Weed and Feed' product — the herbicide in it will kill vegetable plants.
Do this this week
- 1.Spread ≈ 0.5 lb of all-purpose garden fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10); low- or no-phosphorus unless a soil test calls for P evenly over the 32 sq ft bed
- 2.Work it into the top 6 inches a few days before planting
- 3.We don't have a sourced follow-up schedule for this crop — watch the plant instead
Typical estimate · 1 verified source · Checked 2026-07-18 · How we decide
Why
We don't have a sourced sidedress trigger for turnips yet — after the pre-plant application, watch the plant (pale, slow growth may signal genuine hunger) rather than us guessing a follow-up schedule.
- One balanced pre-plant application plus a fruit-set sidedress matches how demand actually rises.
- Modest feeder — soil-test-first, and go low on phosphorus in most soils.
When this doesn't apply
- Soil test results override this: high-P soils need nitrogen-only products.
- Beds heavily amended with compost each year may need only half this rate.
How this was calculated
- 1. Feeding profile
Turnip: Modest feeder — soil-test-first, and go low on phosphorus in most soils.
- 2. Pre-plant rate1.5 lb/100 sq ft (our estimate)GardenSays estimate
all-purpose garden fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10); low- or no-phosphorus unless a soil test calls for P: 1.5 lb per 100 sq ft (midpoint of published extension rates), worked into the top 6 inches
- 3. Your bed≈ 0.5 lb (8 oz)Calculated result
1.5 lb/100 sq ft × 32 sq ft
Data sources
- University of Minnesota Extension — Growing turnips and rutabagas in home gardens — Soil testing is best; many soils have enough phosphorus, so unless the test recommends P use a low- or no-P fertilizer. If you haven't done a soil test, apply 1-2 pounds of 10-10-10 per 100 square feet before planting. (checked 2026-07-18)
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