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Brassica rapa 'Hakurei'
Hakurei Turnip
Species native to central Asia and the Mediterranean region; 'Hakurei' is a Japanese F1 hybrid introduced to North American market gardens in the 1990s
Overview
Brassica rapa 'Hakurei' is a compact fast-maturing annual root vegetable in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) reaching 8–14 inches (20–35 cm) tall and 6–10 inches (15–25 cm) wide. The cultivar is a Japanese F1 hybrid producing a smooth white globe-shaped root 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) in diameter with thin skin, crisp texture, and a mild sweet fruity flavor that separates the cultivar from the pungent fibrous roots of traditional European turnips. Flesh is white smooth-textured juicy and runs apple-like in crunch and sweetness when eaten raw. Leaves are medium green oblong to spatulate lightly hairy 6–10 inches (15–25 cm) long, edible as cooking greens — sautéed, braised, or added to soups. Root formation runs rapid, with harvest-ready roots in 38–45 days from direct sowing — among the shortest days-to-harvest for any root vegetable. The thin smooth skin requires no peeling for raw eating preparations. The cultivar performs in cool weather and bolts rapidly when day length exceeds 14 hours or air temperatures exceed 80°F (27°C); spring and fall sowings produce the highest-quality roots in the Pacific Northwest and continental temperate climates. Roots become pithy and hollow if left in the ground past 3 inches (8 cm) diameter — harvest timing relative to root size is the principal quality control point for the cultivar. Not known to be toxic to pets or humans.
Native Range
The species Brassica rapa is native to central Asia and the Mediterranean region. The 'Hakurei' cultivar is a Japanese F1 hybrid developed for salad-quality fresh eating and was introduced to North American market gardens in the 1990s. It has become the principal Japanese salad turnip cultivar in U.S. and Canadian market gardens since that introduction.Suggested Uses
Grown in vegetable gardens, salad gardens, container plantings (3+ gallon containers), and market gardens for fresh eating, cooking, and short-cycle succession sowing. The roots are eaten raw in salads, sliced with sea salt, served with herb-yogurt or labneh dips, or roasted whole, glazed, or added to stir-fries; the apple-like sweet crunch of the raw root is the principal culinary feature that separates 'Hakurei' from traditional pungent turnips. Greens are sautéed in olive oil with garlic, braised with stock, or added to brassica-greens soups. The rapid maturity (38–45 days from sowing) makes 'Hakurei' a standard succession-sowing crop and a soil-building rotation component grown between cover crop plantings or as a quick fill crop after spring greens finish. The cultivar does not store well — roots are eaten within 1–2 weeks of harvest rather than placed into root cellar storage like longer-keeping turnip varieties.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 1'2"
Width/Spread6" - 10"
Bloom Information
Bolts rapidly in response to long days (14+ hours) or sustained heat above 80°F (27°C). Bolting flowers are yellow four-petaled cruciform — typical of Brassicaceae — on elongated flowering stalks. The cultivar is grown primarily as a spring and fall crop to avoid bolting; seed sown for harvest before day length reaches 14 hours in spring (early March in the Pacific Northwest) or after day length drops below 14 hours in late summer (August–September) yields the highest-quality roots. If bolting occurs, the flowering stalk is removed but the root has typically become woody and inedible by that point in the cycle.Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Yellow four-petaled cruciform (only when bolting); flowering stalks elongate above the foliageFoliage Description
Medium green; oblong to spatulate; lightly hairy; 6-10 inches long with toothed margins; edible as cooking greensGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Direct sow seeds 0.25 inch (6 mm) deep in early spring 4–6 weeks before the last frost date, or in late summer (August through September in the Pacific Northwest) for fall harvest. Spacing runs 4 inches (10 cm) apart in rows 12 inches (30 cm) apart. Thin seedlings to final spacing when 2 inches (5 cm) tall — thinnings are edible as microgreens. Consistent moisture during root formation produces crisp non-pithy roots; drought-stressed plants run smaller, woodier, and bolt earlier. Harvest at 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) diameter, 38–45 days after sowing. Harvest timing is the principal quality control point — roots become pithy and hollow within days of reaching mature size, so successive sowings every 2–3 weeks across the cool-weather window extend the harvest rather than relying on a single planting. In the Pacific Northwest, fall sowings (August–September) produce the sweetest roots as cooling autumn temperatures increase sugar content. Flea beetles damage seedling-stage leaves under spring conditions; floating row cover from sowing through 3-leaf stage prevents flea beetle damage to the cotyledons and first true leaves.Pruning
No horticultural pruning applies. Plants are harvested whole by pulling. Greens are edible and can be harvested as a cut-and-come-again leafy green if root size is not the primary objective — outer leaves are cut and the central growing point is left intact for continued leaf production over 4–6 weeks.Maintenance Level
lowContainer Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons
⚠️ Toxicity Warning
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Direct Sow Timing
Early spring (4-6 weeks before last frost) and late summer (August-September) for fall harvest
Days to Maturity
38–45 days
Plant Spacing
4 inches