Brassica rapa ‘Golden Ball’ – sweet, tender yellow turnips with smooth round roots

Brassica rapa ‘Golden Ball’ is a traditional, reliable turnip variety producing smooth, perfectly round roots with attractive golden-yellow flesh. Renowned for its mild, sweet flavour and fine texture, it is ideal for roasting, mashing, soups, stews and harvesting as tender young vegetables.

Fast-growing and easy to cultivate, this variety performs well in a wide range of soils and produces consistently high-quality roots from summer through autumn. The nutritious leafy tops are also edible, making ‘Golden Ball’ an excellent dual-purpose crop for the vegetable garden.

Key Features

● Smooth round roots with golden-yellow flesh

● Mild, sweet flavour with tender texture

● Fast-growing and easy to cultivate

● Excellent for roasting, soups and mashing

● Edible, nutritious leafy greens

How to Sow & Grow Golden Ball Turnip (UK)

Sow indoors: Not recommended

Plant out: Not applicable

Direct outdoors: III–VIII (March–August)

Harvest: V–XI (May–November)

Life cycle: Annual

Germination temperature: 10–20°C (50–68°F)

Average germ time: 5–10 days

Depth: 1–1.5 cm (½ in)

Light required: No – cover with soil

Moisture: Keep soil consistently moist for rapid, even growth

Environment: Full sun or partial shade

Soil type: Fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil free from stones

Plant spacing: 10–15 cm (4–6 in)

Mature height: 30–40 cm (12–16 in)

Sowing & Growing Tips

● Sow little and often every 2–3 weeks for a continuous harvest throughout the season.

● Thin seedlings promptly to allow roots to develop into uniform, well-shaped bulbs.

● Water regularly, especially during dry weather, to prevent woody roots and splitting.

● Harvest young roots for the sweetest flavour and most tender texture.

● Protect young seedlings from flea beetles with horticultural fleece if necessary.