Edible Yards

We use purple top turnips as a cover crop in our winter garden. These hardy root crops are fabulous soil builders. They help break up compacted soil and add valuable organic matter if left to decompose in the ground. We broadcast-seed turnips in the fall and then just let them grow. Beginning in January, we start to see the purple tops swelling just above the soil. We then pick out certain turnips for eating (both the greens and the tubers) and leave the rest for soil building. This method allows us to keep the soil covered in the winter, eat a few turnips and build the soil for spring crops all in the same place and at the same time!