Crop type: Turnips
Brassica rapa (Rapifera Group) ‘Temari Red’ AGM
Common name: Turnip ‘Temari Red’
Crop slug: turnips
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Temari Red’ is a biennial Japanese salad turnip with small rounded scarlet-red roots. Inside, the flesh is white with a red blush. Depending on sowing time, harvest falls in June to September or October to November. The cultivar shows some club-root resistance and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The compact bushy top suits a small salad root.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well drained
- Soil pH
- Neutral or alkaline
Deep fertile ground and water during dry spells help roots stay crisp.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun or partial shade
- Aspect
- East-, south- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed or sheltered
- Hardiness
- H3 — hardy in coastal and relatively mild UK areas, approximately −5 to 1°C
Some shade is tolerated when plants are grown for leafy tops.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Foliage | Roots |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Green | Scarlet skin developing |
| Summer | Green | Scarlet-red roots with white, red-blushed flesh |
The strong scarlet exterior and blushed white cut flesh define the cultivar.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Name status
- Accepted
- Award
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
Genus
Brassicas usually have alternate often glaucous leaves, long taproots and clusters of cross-shaped yellow or white flowers; the genus contains many food crops.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in deep fertile moist but well-drained soil in sun, watering in drought. Partial shade is acceptable for leaf production.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Pruning
No pruning is required.
Pests
Flea beetles, aphids, cabbage caterpillars, cabbage whitefly and cabbage root fly may attack.
Diseases
Downy mildew, powdery mildews and club root are listed, although ‘Temari Red’ has some club-root resistance.