Parsnips

David so use t/rolls in a pot or tray or am I getting this wrong.

 

This is what happens to parsnips when the soil is to rich.
robert

 

No, Scotkat, I said DON`T use t/rolls, sow straight in the ground. About two weeks before sowing, cover the ground with polythene to warm it up a bit.:gnthb:

 

Hi Dai. What exactly is wrong with using t/roll cores ? I used them this year and had no problems at all. They all germinated around the same time and I've had some good sized roots with only one (so far) being forked. I remember using the method you prescribe (sowing straight into the ground) and ended up with sporadic germination, gaps in the rows and forking. Capney, are you sure it's due to the soil being too rich ? The reason I ask is because the forked one I had was pretty much like the one you have pictured, and the soil it grew in is virgin so therefore it's not rich ? Just asking Cheers...freddy.

 

I've been growing parsnips and carrots in this garden for over thirty years now and I've tried all sorts of ways of growing them, but the most successful by far for nice straight roots has been the method advocated by Dai in his first post. Make holes fill them with sifted soil/compost, sow three or four seeds and reduce to one seedling.
For early crops I've used cloches over them - though I can see no great advantage from 'early' parsnips as they need frost to sweeten them and I regard them as one of the 'winter treats'.
I do use loo rolls and peat pots to give beet, chard, lettuce, beans an early start, but I don't do it with root crops (parsnips & carrots) because the slightest disturbance can damage the very tender and fine tap root. Stony ground has the same effect.

Anyway, what does it really matter if you get one or two forked parsnips/carrots they are still edible - all you need to do is chop off the stringy bits.:D

 

Hi Dave. I can understand the reasoning behind Dai's first post, I was just curious as to the reason why using t/roll cores was not such a good idea since the two methods seem quite similar (to me) "Anyway, what does it really matter if you get one or two forked parsnips/carrots they are still edible - all you need to do is chop off the stringy bits." Absolutely :thumb:

 

Freddy - Dai will no doubt expand on the subject as he's a pro gardener, but as far as I understand/read between the lines, the most likely problem with using t/rolls is the slight disturbance to the very tender tap root when planting.

There is a question that has been raised elsewhere about the adhesive used in t/rolls causing growth of fungi. With regard to the latter, I've seen it happen quite often on the t/roll, mainly before planting out, but it hasn't had any effect (as far as I can tell, at least in my garden) on the seedling contained in it.

One thing to be aware of is that whatever you grow in them, t/roll or peat potted seedlings need the pot/roll top below the soil surface for if the top is exposed it tends to act as a wick and dry out the soil around the seedling.

 

Freddy
Re: Forked parsnip. Im going on the fact that my forking was due to rich soil and it was a virgin raised bed this year and had very little "dirt" in it. (Mainly peat and home compost based) I still have some to harvest and await final outcome at that time.
Some interesting stuff on this thread which suggests I shall do things a little different next season
robert

 

Hi again capney. Like I said, my soil was virgin this year, but I was lucky enough to be able to import some soil from other parts of the garden to make up my raised beds. I'm also fortunate in that I have a good depth of topsoil which has led to roots that go way down. Trying to dig my 'snips' up is a bit of a task in itself so I tend to just cut the root around 18" down instead of trying to dig it out. Dave, I take your point about disturbing the tap root, but I'm always very careful not to. What I try to make sure of is getting them in the ground as quickly as possible after they've germinated. I remember once in the past leaving them too long, and they had already reached the bottom of the core. Upon lifting I was aware that some of the roots had actually broken, so like I said, they MUST go in as soon as possible to avoid this. I guess it doesn't really matter what 'system' one uses, if it works, it works, and this method for ME has always returned good results. Cheers...freddy.

 

Sorry I`ve taken so long getting back to this. Freddy, there are 2 reasons why I don`t hold with the toilet roll thing. Firstly, apart from possible damage to the taproot. It can also, if the watering isn`t carried out correctly, increase, not only the possibilty of forking but also of the plants bolting ( going to sed ). Secondly, as the seeds can be sown direct very early in the year, why let them take up valuable greenhouse space which could be better used.:gnthb:

 

Hi there Dai. I'm not sure what you mean about the watering thing as I usually find that early in the season, watering isn't THAT much of an issue. As for greenhouse space, I don't use mine. I have a couple of cold-frames that do the job (so far) quite nicely, bearing in mind that all it takes are a couple of seed trays to hold the cores in. It's a good debate though. Maybe someone would like to try different methods and come back on this ? Cheers...freddy.

 

If it's any consolation,I grew my Parsnips this year from seed I had floated in water in a container until they germinated,pricked them out into plastic water cups that Mr K brought home from work and planted them out into allotment ground that had been prepared with both compost and leaf mould from my compost bins.

I dug up the following Parsnips today and have taken photo's of four of them to show you all how they have grown.

Please excuse the Canker as these were free seeds from a gardening magazine so have had to accept the problem associated with them.Once I work my magic on them they will look lovely:thmb:

Next year I shall try them the same way but will use root trainers.These are the best Parsnips we have had for years and gave up with open sowing as when we did it that way we had none at all

I have been allotmenteering for 28 years and am also blond:D

 

I've never grown parsnips before and next year will be my first go.

is it best to grow them in deep raised beds?

Yours all look fantastic so I'm guessing your the right people to ask

 

Kandy,
They are amazing...well, compared to mine they are.:thmb:
Just look at those long slim bodies. Ideal for thin slicing and turning into parsnip chips..ummmmm

sleigh
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I'll be down the allotment this weekend digging up my Parsnips for Xmas and also picking off the Brussels. Also I will be raiding the herb garden.