(45 days) Open-pollinated. Listed in the Album Vilmorin (1854-55) as Robertson’s Golden Ball, also known as Orange Jelly. The skin is smooth and yellow and the soft flesh is golden-yellow, and yes, perhaps the color of orange marmalade without the rinds. Rather broad leaves of medium height. Although the globes reach 4–5" at full size, they achieve peak flavor and maximum sweetness at 3" in diameter. Alan LePage says “better than rutabagas or any other turnip.” A good keeper; he was selling them into March. Maryland market grower Brett Grohsgal concurs, Gold Ball “comes into its own after the frosts and freezes have begun…remains mild and nutty [with] a firm, near-perfect texture. Best simmered or roasted. Pleases even those retail customers who don’t really like other turnips, and a strong seller with our chefs.” ② ④
Gold Ball Turnip
Gold Ball Turnip
(45 days) Open-pollinated. Listed in the Album Vilmorin (1854-55) as Robertson’s Golden Ball, also known as Orange Jelly. The skin is smooth and yellow and the soft flesh is golden-yellow, and yes, perhaps the color of orange marmalade without the rinds. Rather broad leaves of medium height. Although the globes reach 4–5" at full size, they achieve peak flavor and maximum sweetness at 3" in diameter. Alan LePage says “better than rutabagas or any other turnip.” A good keeper; he was selling them into March. Maryland market grower Brett Grohsgal concurs, Gold Ball “comes into its own after the frosts and freezes have begun…remains mild and nutty [with] a firm, near-perfect texture. Best simmered or roasted. Pleases even those retail customers who don’t really like other turnips, and a strong seller with our chefs.” ② ④
Additional Information
Turnips & Rutabagas
- About 6,000-12,000 seeds/oz.
- open-pollinated except where noted
- Days to maturity are from emergence after direct seeding.
Culture: Minimum germination temperature 40°, optimal range 60-85°. Direct seed at 1 seed per inch, sown in rows 1–2' apart. Thin to 2" apart for small salad turnips, and 3–4" for full-sized roots. Turnips have a shorter growing season and are not as cold-hardy or as good keepers as rutabagas. Turnips are best picked before they get large and fibrous. Rutabagas, also known as Swedish turnips or Swedes, form enlarged roots above ground with a finely branched system below.
Disease: DM: Downy Mildew
Note: Because of quarantine, we cannot ship rutabagas and turnips in packets greater than ½ oz. (14 grams) into the Willamette Valley of Oregon except those that have tested negative for Black Leg and Black Rot.
Insect Pest: Adult Cabbage Fly, Delia spp., (AKA cabbage root fly, turnip fly) lay their eggs near the base of the main stem of brassica roots. The maggot can damage your root crop. Row cover can exclude the adult flies from laying eggs. Long crop rotation between brassica crops and thorough incorporation of all crop debris in fall reduces the overwintering maggots and interrupts the generational cycle. Old-timers in Maine always made the seed bed as clean as possible, with no visible organic matter, and avoided sowing fall turnips and rutabagas until after July 4. A late crop is better than a wormy one!
Germination Testing
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
Our Seeds are Non-GMO
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.