[Middle Eastern Gardener]

I planted three rows of this year's parsnip seed & only two individual seeds have germinated   What can I do to improve my chances of stronger germination for next year?  Assuming I'm now too late to get some grown for Christmas?

[JayG]

Having read your other thread where you have mentioned being located in the South of France I will re-write my reply (it can be helpful to put your location in your personal profile, especially when you choose a username like yours!  )

My tips are not to sow until the soil has warmed up (mid-May in the UK), use fresh seed, sowing a pinch of seed at 3-4" intervals. If they all germinate you will need to thin them out to a spacing of 8-10 inches, rows 18-24" apart (if you've got steady hands it's best to snip the ones you don't want down to soil level to avoid disturbing the roots of the ones you are leaving.)

Unless your autumns and winters are far warmer than in the UK, it's too late to sow now to crop this year, and if you left them to over-winter they would probably run straight to seed next year.

[madcat]

JG is right - but if it is any comfort, no-one on our site has got a decent row of parsnips this year.  It warmed up, we planted, it went cold again and they sat there and sat there etc     And then it got too hot for them!    Only a few got away at the right time, and my neighbour has had a couple decide to get going only in the last fortnight.  Mini veg I suspect. 

Next year will be different again ....

[Jes Gloucester]

Me too, planted two rows 1st 17/4/18 second a month later not a single germination. Been growing veg for years, what should I do to guarantee germination.

[mikem]

I put germinate my seed on damp kitchen roll paper in an ice cream container above the boiler before sowing them in toilet roll holders. You need to be quick and not them get too big and you will also need to plant them out pretty quick afterwards as the roots grow very quickly.

[MarkC]

I too think it's sound advice to wait until May. Too many books advise planting seeds too early.
The last two years planting in early May worked really well for me. This year was more challenging due to the very rapid change in weather conditions. I planted two rows, and this year there are some gaps, but I'm still quite happy with that, as a lot of people have been less lucky judging by some comments on other threads....

It's too late to plant now though, even in the South of France I think.....

[timdunn]

I agree that planting in May is essential in the colder British climate to ensure good germination. However, what is often overlooked is that the soil needs to be kept damp especially given the small and thin parsnip seeds that can quickly dry out and cause failure during/after germination. I lay a wooden board across each row after watering the seed which ensures the soil remains moist and keep this in place for at least two weeks after planting; watering on top of the board if it’s been very dry. I didn’t have any problems with germination this year even though we had at least two months with no rain.

[lettice]

Have tried many ways over decades of growing parsnips, but as others have found the best way is to sow direct outside in early May.
I always sow some in mid March in the greenhouse and make sure I have written the date a number of times on the label. Find they take about 20 days on average and some even 30 days to germinate, so easy to forget when you sowed.
A very slow germinating crop, so its all just a bit of patience.
The greenhouse sown one are November pickings, but do no better size or taste wise compared to the may sowing, which are ready to pick Jan/Feb

[JayG]

Long standing members will probably sigh wearily as yet again I post a link to a chart of germination rates and speed at different soil temperatures for various crops, but it does show just how extraordinarily long parsnip seeds take to germinate at low temperatures (and therefore often rot before doing so.)

Link