Repotting guide

When & how to repot Turnip 'Golden Ball' (Brassica rapa var. rapa 'Golden Ball')

Also called Golden Ball turnip, Orange Jelly turnip.

More about turnip 'golden ball'

About Turnip 'Golden Ball'

Brassica rapa var. rapa 'Golden Ball' · also called Golden Ball turnip, Orange Jelly turnip · edible

'Golden Ball' is an old hardy turnip with round, amber-yellow roots and sweet, fine-textured flesh that stores well into winter. Reaching 8-10 cm in about 60-70 days, it is more frost-tolerant than many turnips and good for late and main-crop sowings. Sow direct in full sun in fertile, cool soil.

Mature size: Roots 8-10 cm across; foliage 30-45 cm tall.

Watch for — Clubroot: Brassica root disease causing galled, distorted roots; rotate brassicas, raise soil pH with lime and improve drainage.

How to tell turnip 'golden ball' needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For turnip 'golden ball', watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot turnip 'golden ball' on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot turnip 'golden ball'

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Turnip 'Golden Ball'is grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Biennial grown as an annual; a rosette of green leaves above a round, golden-fleshed root sitting at the soil surface. Slower and hardier than salad types..

What size pot to step turnip 'golden ball' up to

Pot turnip 'golden ball' on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot turnip 'golden ball'

Pot turnip 'golden ball' on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting turnip 'golden ball'

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check turnip 'golden ball' regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh fertile, moisture-retentive, free-draining loam at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water turnip 'golden ball' in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for turnip 'golden ball'

Turnip 'Golden Ball' wants fertile, moisture-retentive, free-draining loam. Deep, organic-rich loam gives the firm, well-shaped roots that store well. Keep pH 6.0-7.0, lime acid soil to deter clubroot and avoid freshly manured ground. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting turnip 'golden ball' — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot turnip 'golden ball'?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for turnip 'golden ball'. Turnip 'Golden Ball' is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into fertile, moisture-retentive, free-draining loam so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does turnip 'golden ball' need?

When is the best time of year to repot turnip 'golden ball'?

Can you put turnip 'golden ball' straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing turnip 'golden ball' should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise turnip 'golden ball' after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting turnip 'golden ball'. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.