Heirloom Seeds & Poultry
1878 230th Street, Calamus, IA 52729
(563) 246-2299
TURNIPS
Plant turnips either early in the Spring or late in the Summer. Here in Iowa with the warm nights and hot days of Summer I find a Spring sown turnip to be rather repulsive, but those planted in August to be harvested in the cool days of Autumn a real taste treat. Our soil and lack of root maggots here make them a delicious vegetable. Our sheep love the wheelbarrow loads they get in the Fall and the poultry love the greens . This is a must grow crop for livestock producers. Just don’t feed them to a milk cow during the time she is being milked as the flavor carries over into the milk. They also make an excellent soil builder when planted and left to rot over the winter. I love growing them and enjoy the diversity in shapes, colors and flavor. We tried adding some unique ones a few years ago and now the seed supply has gone extinct, so we will have to try and reproduce them here. Just what I needed another project. Approximately 1000 seeds/pkt. (unless otherwise noted) UPDATED FOR 2025
Bianca Colleto Viola
Bianca Colleto Viola 65 days. Name means white turnip with a red collar. Turnips are elongated and have a great flavor. Pkt. $3.00 ( 50 seeds)
Golden Ball
Golden Ball- 70 days- A turnip that does best when it has sufficient time to mature in cool, fall weather. Here in Iowa it must be planted in mid-July to get the proper size before the weather cools down. This variety dates back to 1859 Pkt. $1.50
Japanese Market White
Japanese Market White - 50 days - Small, uniform sweet turnip. A pure white color ( 300 seeds). Pkt. $3.00
Milan
Milan - 55 days. A nice flavored flattened turnip of Italian origin. Roots are white with a purple top. Mild flavored and makes excellent baby turnips. Pkt. $3.00 ( 50-75 seeds)
Milan White
Milan White- 55 days. Pure white early baby turnip. Mild flavored and a high yielding. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2025, wish us luck increasing seed here.
Nabo Roxo Comprido
Nabo Roxo Comprido- 55 days. Heirloom long shaped turnip from Portugal. Purple top white bottom. Pkt.$2.00
Petrowski
Petrowski - 90 days - European variety. A globe, tankard shape. Golden roots. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed (Approximately 100 seeds/pkt.) UNAVAILABLE FOR 2025
Purple Top Globe
Purple Top Globe- 50 days- Excellent for a cover crop and soil builder. We plant August 1-10 for a mid-September to hard freeze harvest. Pkt. $1.50, 1 oz. $2.75; 4 oz. $7.00
Red Round
Red Round- 55 days- beautiful bright red skin and white flesh. A traditional Japanese variety. ( 300-500 seeds)Pkt. $3.00
Seven Top
Seven Top- 45 days- This type is specifically used for greens only. The roots never develop into anything edible and are usually tough and woody. Very popular in the South. Developed prior to 1880. Pkt. $1.25
Verteus Marteau
Verteus Marteau- 58 days. A very old French heirloom. Elongated, cylindrical roots with white skin. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2025, wish us luck increasing seed here.
White Egg
White Egg- 65 days- A pure white turnip that needs to be properly spaced to develop to its true potential. Thin seedlings to 3 inches apart when 2 to 3 inches tall. This type produces very tall tops that are not so ribby and are good for greens. Pkt. $1.50
Turnip Mix
Turnip Mix- A mixture of the root forming types of turnips to provide a nice variety . Pkt. $2.50