Tips for growing Parsnips

I start my Parsnips in "pots" made from rolling a sheet of newspaper around an aerosol can. Nice tall pots (4" - 5") and narrow (2"), planted out whole (but tear off any newspaper sticking out above ground, otherwise it acts like a wick and dries out the "pot").

http://kgarden.wordpress.com/tips/how-to-make-pots-from-newspaper/

I used to sow 2 - 3 seeds per pot, but sometimes they were so slow germinating that I didn't notice the late ones, and they grew wound-round each other ... so now I chit them on damp kitchen paper.

Probably seems like a lot of faff, in my defence I would say:

Can be done at night, after dark (in fact I pricked them out about half an hour ago - so gone midnight).

Planted out with a bulb planter, and with pots filled with multi-purpose, they have a great root-run to make nice roots. I have heavy clay here, direct-sown they used to fork much more than they do now (I could make planting holes, fill with fine soil, and station-sow of course, but I would still be prey to decent enough weather to get on to my heavy clay soil).

Its much easier to find a suitable time to plant out than to sow. There is some leeway on planting out (but not long for Parsnips, they will fork if the tap root is out of the bottom of the pot), and its several weeks later than seed-sowing would have been.

Start hardening off 7 days after pricking out, and plant out the moment that the first true leaf is seen (otherwise tap root will be out of the bottom of the pot)

I don't have to worry about slow germination sowing outside - which gives weeds a headstart :( If germination fails, or is patchy, its too late to do another batch. Chitting them only takes 7 - 10 days, so time to go-again if needs be.

 

18 days since I sowed my parsnip seeds in toilet roll tubes on the polytunnel staging and there's no sign of them having germinated yet. (thought if I said that they'd be through tommorow)

 

Hiya Scrunge.

I've found it's usually around three weeks. You ARE keeping them watered if necessary, yes? I've found that they can dry out very quickly.

 

When I chit mine on damp kitchen paper I reckon they take a couple of weeks in the kitchen (i.e. room temperature) and then I "prick them out" but they just have a root-chit at that stage ... so best part of another week before they are above-soil. If yours are at colder temperature they may take even longer I reckon ...

When I sowed Parsnips direct their germination time was very uneven (in fact, its uneven on kitchen paper too, but you get so many seeds in a packet, and their viability falls off very quickly, that I "sow" loads but when I prick out probably only 20% has germinated ...)

So I'm not much surprised that you have not seen anything yet ... but as you say, I agree that they will be "up" in a day or two

 

Yes, I check them every day - a bit like keeping sweet peas in tubes watered. (especially as I always surround sweet pea seeds in sand).

 

I posted that on March 26th, which meant my seeds were sown on Sunday 25th March.

And three weeks to the day later the first parsnips are through!

 

Hiya Scrunge.

Get 'em in the ground asap!

 

I'll get my crowbar out - it's likely to be heavy frost here tomorrow, and I'm wondering whether they should be hardened off.

 

Scrunge.

I THINK that tomorrow morning is the last frost for a while? Should be ok later on. As for hardening off, I never did. If you're that concerned, maybe put fleece or something over?

Cheers...Freddy.

 

Start hardening them off before you put them in the ground (you've got a week or two before the tap root starts to come out of the bottom - depending a bit on how deep your pots are, I use newspaper pots as I can make then 4" - 5" tall, which I guess is more than loo rolls) and make 100% sure that you have cut off (scissors, don't pull them) any additional seedlings that germinate - otherwise you'll get twisted deadly-embrace parsnips!

 

Hiya Kristen.

I can't say I agree with your point regarding how long they will take to reach the bottom. I was away for five days a little while ago. In that time they'd germinated and some were showing at the bottom! This has also been my experience in the past, in that it takes well under a week for them to show at the bottom.
Maybe take the middle approach and check them daily? The moment one shows, it's time to get them in?

Cheers...Freddy.

 

Perhaps I'll sacrifice one tube to check how long it takes for the root to show through, and maybe I'll try longer kitchen towel tubes this week/next year.

 

Definitely agree with that, and no dispute with your one-week figure - my newspaper pots are almost certainly "taller" than loo roles and in previous years the moment the first true leaf appears there will be one or two that have roots showing.

I put all the ones with a root showing at one end of the bed, so that the forked roots they [are more likely to, but might not definitely] produce can be used when you aren't digging some Parsnips to serve to royalty (or trying to impress you Mother in law!)

Just seen the first true leaf on mine today, but my soil is like a quagmire (even though raised beds) so not sure what to do for the best :(

 

I've sown mine direct....they are all coming up nicely....i hope i've done the right thing...I did this last year but the weather conditions were very different...

 

I've had a sheet of black polythene dpm over where they'll be planted keeping the (clay)soil warm and not too wet. This morning the puddles of water on top had ice on them - hope it's still warm underneath.