Variety performance review
Purple Top Turnip in the Upper Southeast.
- Good
- Multiple — generic seed
- 60–80 days to bulb maturity
- Organic-approved
Regional strengths
Late-summer planted purple top turnips fit the Upper Southeast bow-and-rifle hunting calendar well — frost-driven palatability spike usually arrives during early November, aligning with the rifle opener in much of TN and KY.
Regional weaknesses
Drought during August establishment is the most common purple top failure mode in the Upper Southeast — KY/TN August dry spells can prevent germination even on prepared seedbed. Mid-October planting is too late; window is tight.
Agronomic ratings
Drought tolerance
fair
Standability
good
Emergence
excellent
Winter hardiness
good
Food-plot ratings
Palatability
good
Persistence
fair
Establishment
easy
Attraction timing: Peaks after first hard frost (late October–November in TN/KY)
Best for
- August-planted food plots in TN/KY/NC
- first-time food plotters
Not recommended for
- dry-summer years without irrigation
Best soil types
silt loam, limestone-derived loam
Seeding rate
3–5 lb/acre
Data quality & sources
Quality: community-reported · Last updated 2024.