Purple Top Milan Turnip Seeds | Early Italian Heirloom | Flat White Roots with Violet Shoulders

Rapa di Milano a Colletto Viola (Purple Top Milan) is a classic Italian turnip, early to mature and easy to grow, with compact plants and relatively sparse foliage. The roots are flat to slightly disc‑shaped, of good medium size, white at the bottom with an attractive rose‑violet collar at the top where they catch the light above the soil.​
The flesh is white, fine‑grained and tender, with a mild, sweet flavour when picked young, excellent eaten raw in salads, thinly sliced for crudités or cooked in soups, stews and simple side dishes. Widely grown and much loved in Italy, this is a dependable heirloom that performs well in the cool conditions of northern Europe, including Ireland.​

Growing information

🌱 Sowing

• Sow direct in open ground on a loose, fertile, stone‑free seedbed.

• In Irish‑type climates, sow from March to June for spring and early summer crops, and again from late July to September for autumn roots.​

☀️ Light

• Prefers full sun but will grow well in light partial shade, especially in warmer or more exposed spots.​

💧 Watering

• Keep soil evenly moist for steady growth and tender, non‑woody roots.

• Avoid prolonged dryness followed by heavy watering, which can cause cracking or a stronger flavour.​

🌡️ Germination

• Germinates readily in cool, moist soil, typically in 7–14 days under normal spring and early autumn conditions.​

📏 Spacing & size

• Sow thinly in rows and thin seedlings to about 8–10 cm apart to allow roots to develop a good flat shape.​

• Plants remain fairly low, with modest foliage that is also edible when young.

Bullet Technical Data

• 🌱 Sowing depth: about 1–1.5 cm​

• 📅 Sow (Ireland): March–June for spring/summer harvests; late July–September for autumn crops​

• ☀️ Light: full sun or light partial shade​

• 🌡️ Germination: 7–14 days in cool, moist conditions​

• 📏 Height: low to medium plants with relatively few leaves​

• 🪴 Spacing: 8–10 cm between plants; 25–30 cm between rows​

• ⏳ Harvest: around 50–60 days from sowing, best taken young for the sweetest flavour​

• 🔢 Seeds: approx. standard packet (around 12 g gives roughly 300–450 seeds per gram)​

Tips & Tricks

• Harvest when roots are about golf‑ball to small apple size for the best texture and sweetness; larger roots can become fibrous.​

• Succession‑sow small rows every 2–3 weeks to spread the harvest rather than getting a glut all at once.

• Use the young greens as a bonus leafy vegetable, lightly wilted in the pan or added to soups and stews.​

Garden‑to‑Table Recipe

Pan‑Roasted Purple Top Milan Turnips with Butter & Herbs (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 500 g Purple Top Milan turnips, small to medium, scrubbed

• 1–2 tbsp olive oil

• 25 g butter

• Salt and black pepper

• A small handful of parsley or chives, chopped

• A squeeze of lemon (optional)

Method

1. Cut small turnips in half (larger ones into wedges) and blanch in lightly salted boiling water for 3–4 minutes, then drain.

2. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, add the turnips cut‑side down and cook until golden, then add the butter, season and let them cook through until tender.

3. Toss with herbs and a little lemon juice if you like, and serve as a simple side dish that shows off their sweet, delicate flavour.