[Anton]

Help please. Is there any point sowing (fast-)sowing turnips this late in the day? It's very hot at the moment (near Brussels, Belgium) but it is set to rain for the next four or five days.
I sowed some in the spring but they ended up looking quite moth-eaten.

I sowed some early carrots over a week ago. Still no sign of them!

Anton

[New shoot]

I would say yes, but it does depend on how your autumn weather goes.  I get away with it most years, but every so often you get a year when the cold weather sets in fast and then it is a dead loss.

Even at this time of year, I have to sow under a fine mesh tunnel to keep cabbage white butterflies off, so they do get a bit of extra protection. 

[Anton]

Thanks for your reply. Do the butterflies attack turnips? have my leeks under mesh. I suppose I could sow the turnips under the agricultural fleece I have. My spring turnips first of all had lots of little holes in the leaves and then ended up with lots of bigger holes in the vegetable itself.

Anton

[New shoot]

I get cabbage white caterpillars on turnip leaves if I don’t cover them.  Lots of little holes in the leaves sounds like flea beetle.  Holes in the roots are probably slugs.

[Anton]

Thanks a lot for the replies.
Turnips I sowed last week suddenly emerged today. Do I cover them with fleece for the flea beetles or is there anything else I can do?

Anton

[New shoot]

My autumn crop is under an insect mesh tunnel but I have seen some flea beetle damage on it.  I don’t worry too much about it to be honest.  The turnips seem to grow anyway. 

Like you, I have found spring sown crops never do that well for me.  The flea beetle seems much more active and really do decimate them, then invariably we get a hot spell and they bolt.

[Anton]

Thanks for those reasurring words.

Anton