VegetableTurnip
White Egg Turnip
Storage Turnip
White Egg Turnip is a fast-maturing heirloom beloved in Southern gardens for its exceptional reliability and clean, mild flavor. The roots grow egg-shaped and smooth, sized 3 to 4 inches long by 2 to 3 inches in diameter, with pure white skin encasing fine-grained, tender flesh. Ready to harvest in 40 to 49 days, this frost-tolerant annual thrives across zones 2 through 13 and produces medium-green 17-inch tops ideal for bunching. Its speed and sweet, delicate character make it a natural choice for succession planting through spring and fall.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/white-egg-turnip)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained Loam, Tolerates Poor Soils
Preferred Temp60-75°F
Growth Stats
PeriodAnnual
TypeRoot Vegetable
Spacing
6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-13
Size
?in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The egg-shaped roots are deceptively elegant, smooth and snowy-white with a sophisticated visual presence in the garden or on the plate. Harvest them at golf-ball size for peak tenderness, or let them grow slightly larger without losing their fine texture and mild sweetness. The tops are equally useful, growing tall enough at 17 inches to merit inclusion in bunches or cooked as greens. Early maturity in 40 to 49 days means you can plant every two weeks and enjoy continuous harvests from spring through fall frost.
Common Uses
These roots shine when roasted whole until caramelized, their natural sweetness concentrating into earthy, tender flesh. They're equally at home raw in slaws or salads, where their crispness and mild flavor don't overpower delicate greens. The tender, mild roots take well to quick sautéing with greens or a light glaze. The tall tops can be cooked as a bitter green, bundled fresh for market, or included in mixed vegetable bunches, so nothing goes to waste from this productive plant.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
None
First Harvest
40-55 Days After Planting
Last Harvest
70 Days After Planting
Care Instructions
Transplant Outdoors
If transplanting seedlings grown indoors, move them outdoors when soil temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit and they have developed 2 to 3 true leaves. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor light and temperature for 7 to 10 days before planting. Space transplants 4 to 6 inches apart in rows or beds with full sun exposure.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors in spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in midsummer for a fall crop. Sow seeds at the depth of 1/4 inch, spacing them 2 inches apart in rows or clusters. Keep soil consistently moist until germination occurs in 7 to 10 days.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting White Egg Turnips when the roots are golf-ball sized, approximately 40 to 49 days after sowing, or when they reach 2 to 3 inches in diameter for peak tenderness and sweetness. The smooth, white exterior makes size easy to assess even from above ground. Pull roots gently or loosen soil with a fork before pulling to avoid splitting. The 17-inch tops can be harvested at any time and are most tender when young; older leaves are suitable for cooking as greens. Fall crops, planted in midsummer, often develop superior flavor after exposure to light frost.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Soil pH Range
6 – 7.5
Scientific Classification
Brassica rapa L.
Family
Brassicaceae
Genus
Brassica
Duration
Annual, Biennial
Growth Habit
Forb/herb
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)CAN (I)GL (I)
History & Origin
“White Egg Turnip earned its reputation as a Southern garden staple through decades of reliable performance in warm, humid climates where other root crops often falter. Also known by the aliases Early White Egg or Snowball, this cultivar has been preserved through seed catalogs and heirloom collections because gardeners kept saving seed and replanting year after year. While no single origin story is documented in the sources, its enduring presence in seed catalogs and regional garden traditions speaks to its value as a dependable, no-fuss variety that delivers consistently good flavor without demanding much from the grower.”