Funny shaped Parsnips

I have just started to harvest some parsnips.
They are strange shapes
i.e squat, some have multi root stems.
What soil preparations should I have taken. This I Feel is the problem

 

Hi Belto

Did you dig in manure before planting? I know this causes forking with carrots - might be the same with parsnips.

 

Flinty
my garden was red sandy soil whenI moved in 25 years ago, now it is dark brown due to composted kitchen waste and approx 6" higher
The area where the parsnips were planted as small plants was treated with blood, bone + ?.
could this have the effect?

 

You normally sow parsnips direct and don't transplant, this might be why.

If they taste good ... does it matter?

 

I concur with the transplanting theory. I transplanted carrots last year, having never grown them or having any clue what I was doing. They all grew squat and mis-shapen, some having forking.
The taste was good, but they all suffered stunted growth, the longest only being about 3 inches, and didn't grow past that.
I learned from some one in the know that sowing direct indeed does prevent this.

 

Wow, i never heard any1 transplanting carrots or parsnips??!! Any other experiences?

We grow our root veggies in deep containers, filled with a mixture of compost, sieved garden soil and builders sand (just the cheapest), the results are great!
So i expect if you add some sand to the soil where you grow your root veggies will help prevent squat and mis-shape growth, as it will loosen the soil. And make sure you dig the sand deep in. Just a tip. Hope it helps.

 

This is my first year of growing parsnips and I followed Daitheplants advice.

I drove a stake into he ground about 12 inches deep to creat a shaft and filled with a very, very fine sand and sieved compost mix then sowed the seed on the top of that-and I have gotten some belters out of it.

I will definitely be using this method from now on every time.

The stake was actually an old wooden dustpan handle so it was about 4cm in diameter.