Purple-Top Turnip vs Forage Radish
Both are frost-sweetened brassicas deer hammer after a hard freeze — but they do different jobs underground.
| Purple-Top Turnip | Forage Radish | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | annual | annual |
| Season | cool-season | cool-season |
| Seeding rate (broadcast) | 4–5 lbs/ac | 8–12 lbs/ac |
| Drilled rate | 2.5 lbs/ac | 7 lbs/ac |
| Ideal soil pH | 6.5 | 6.2 |
| Plant depth | 1/8" | 1/4" |
| Days to maturity | 75–90 days | 60–70 days |
| Deer preference | Seasonal | High |
When to choose each
Plant Purple-Top Turnip if…
Plant turnips for late-season food. Deer graze the leafy tops through fall, then dig and eat the bulbs through winter once a hard frost converts the starches to sugar — making turnips a true cold-weather food source, not just early forage.
Plant Forage Radish if…
Plant forage radishes to fix your soil. The long, aggressive taproot drills through compaction, then rots over winter and leaves behind channels and organic matter that improve drainage and structure for whatever you plant next season.
The practical play
A turnip-radish blend does both jobs at once, which is why nearly every commercial brassica mix combines them. Add a small grain to shade out weeds while the brassicas establish, and don't replant brassicas on the same ground two years running — rotate to avoid disease buildup.
The bottom line
Which should you plant?
Plant turnips for late-season food: deer graze the tops, then dig the bulbs through winter. Plant radishes to build soil — the deep taproot shatters compaction and rots over winter, leaving channels and organic matter behind. A turnip-radish blend gives you both, which is why most brassica mixes contain the two.
Calculator
Purple-Top Turnipseed & lime →
4–5 lbs/ac · plant 1/8" deep
Calculator
Forage Radishseed & lime →
8–12 lbs/ac · plant 1/4" deep
Where to buy seed
Compare prices and bag sizes for Purple-Top Turnip and Forage Radish online.
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