Parsnips in tubes?

[align=left]Im looking at trying parsnips again this year and hope to have some better luck with them. Last year i made my raised beds and sieved all the soil going into them and mixed in some compost and peat.there were no big stones in there so i thought i would get some decent parsnips, instead i got all crooked ones or forked ones. This year ive got some 50mm sink waste pipe and was planning on sinking 10" lengths into the ground and planting the seed in the top of each one, hopefully to keep the parsnips growing straight. Would this method work and are there any problems when it comes to lifting them, are they likely to get stuck in the tubes?
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Hi Kev
I think 50mm is far too narrow for parsnips, some of ours this year were about 90mm at the top. Another thing to consider is that waste pipe will isolate the parsnips from water in the surrounding soil and you'd need to water them very regularly.
Forking of parsnips and carrots is often caused by lack of water. I sow mine like you do in holes filled with a mixture of fine soil and compost but this year some of the crop was badly forked (though pretty large) and it was due to very dry conditions at one time during the growing period.

 

No point in growing them small :D:D:D:D:D:D