Tips for growing Parsnips

I've had one or two forked, but mostly pretty good...

I'm thinking about using kitchen roll cores, but a bit awkward come planting time

 

I've been growing Parsnips in tall, narrow, tubes made from wrapping newspaper around an aerosol can for 3, maybe 4, seasons now. I get relatively few forked ones, and I reckon I had about the same number before - i.e. because the tap root hit a stone, or similar.

My opinion is that a loo-roll is not tall enough, because the tap root grows very fast indeed, and I want to plant out before the tap root comes out of the bottom of the "pot" (and has to make a decision about which "direction" to continue)

 

I really don't see forked parsnips as a major problem unless you are selling them to Tesco or other supermarket.
The biggest problem I have with mine is digging them up as forked or not they go pretty deep.

 

Looks like time to sow parsnips next week.

 

Outdoors I think depends a bit on soil temperature (which depends somewhat on type of soil I suspect).

As I sow/grow mine indoors in newspaper tubes the weather doesn't effect me, but there is absolutely no way I could get on my heavy clay soil, with the torrential wet we have had for many months now, to make a seed bed for outdoor sowing, and I think Parsnip seed will just sit & wait (and potentially rot) if sown when the ground is not warm enough - at best it just gives time for weed seeds to make a head-start, which then makes hand-weeding, and trying to find the little parsnip seedlings, rather fraught!

 

Hiya Kristen.

My guess is that Scrungee will be starting them off under cover, as last year

 

I've started mine off in modules...not done it before normally direct sown wasn't sure if i was doing right but wanted to get them going and there is no way i can get them in the ground untill it drys out a bit.....

 

Modules? Sorry, but I don't think that will work. 'Roots' don't react well to being restricted when it comes to shallow planting.

 

They're the 'root trainers' Freddy ...about 6" deep....tell me they'll be alright pleeeeaaase......i'm hoping they won't be in them for long

 

Hiya loli.

You might be alright with root-trainers, IF you can plant them out without disturbing the tap root. Not easy. The main thing is to try to get them out before the root reaches the bottom of the container. I normally use toilet roll cores, and transplant them out as soon as they show, and I mean, the same day!

 

I'll give it a "maybe". However, worst that can happen is that they "fork" which just makes peeling them a bit of a challenge!

Here's how I make Newspaper Pots - you can make them taller than your Root Trainers, and then plant out "whole" (tear off any newspaper that sticks out above ground, otherwise it acts as a wick and dries out the paper that is underground)
http://kgarden.wordpress.com/tips/how-to-make-pots-from-newspaper/

Once you get germination I reckon you have 3 weeks until you must have planted out - the tap root will appear at the bottom at that time. The moment you see the first true leaf get them planted. You need to get them hardened off in that time too - so a week after germination I start hardening them off

I start mine germinating in a Tupperware box on a sheet of damp kitchen paper, as soon as the seed chits I just pop them one-per-pot into the newspaper tubes.

 

Well, there you have it.

Kristen says you have 3 weeks to get them planted out, and I say you must get them out straight away. The choice is yours

 

Thank you both for the advice the seedlings are up....think i need to get cracking eh.....

 

I think we will both agree, take care when planting out, that the 'ball' stays intact

 

Yours are in loo rolls though? My newspaper pots are quite a bit taller, so a bit more leeway I think.

I don't think planting them out when they "show" would work for me, the soil still would not be ready ...

Looking at the photo in the link I posted earlier they were sown on 11-March, that photo with them "well showing" was on 03-April and I planted out on 10-April - I reckon they germinated in a fortnight, say 25 March. In some years I could plant out then, many years the soil would still be like a mud bath if I tried!