Forage Turnips are a cool season, broadleaf, root crop that can act as an annual or biennial plant. They are typically used for cover crops providing both an upright and spreading leaf structure that can be grazed as well as left for mulch. (Note! It is not recommended to graze animals on straight turnips for long periods, it can harm young animals and breeding animals.) Turnips help suppress weeds with their large broad leaves (but do not kill the weeds). It develops a significant root tuber which can feed wildlife in the winter and can reduce subsoil compaction. It takes approximately 60 days to mature but requires moisture to germinate and thrive – it is not as drought tolerant as some other cover crop species. There is a great deal of variability among the various turnip seed types manifest through the leaf to tuber ratio. Turnips are great at recycling nutrients in the soil left by previous crops.
C/N ratio – 12:30
