Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Kleftiwallah on April 09, 2017, 12:44

Title: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: Kleftiwallah on April 09, 2017, 12:44

I have 4 parsnips emerging and looking strong.  I'll deviate the lines of carrot around them. 

That's Christmas roast veggies sorted.

Cheers,  Tony

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: snowdrops on April 09, 2017, 15:33

If they're last years you'll probably find they go to seed as that's what they do, produce seed heads in their second year, sorry to disappoint you. Unless you mean they are last years seeds that you've sown this year of course

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: grinling on April 09, 2017, 19:33

put parsnip seeds on damp kitchen roll and cover. Check every day for signs of sprouting and plant the ones which have.

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: Yorkie on April 09, 2017, 19:38

I agree with snowdrops.  They won't be edible for Christmas; they'll already be going very woody as the plant prepares to make seeds rather than keep its root in good condition.

Start afresh.

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: azubah on April 10, 2017, 09:30

If you let them flower you can collect your own seed.

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: TheWhiteRabbit on April 10, 2017, 14:38

Yup, if they are last years parsnips, they'll be regrowing ready to go to seed. If you dig them up now, they'll have a woody centre which you can cut out but the rest of it will be edible.

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: pigguns on April 14, 2017, 17:08

So my question is..... Can i just harvest the seed from last year's parsnips and put them straight into the ground? Surely this is what nature does?  Or will it be too late in the season by the time the seed has come ripe?

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: JayG on April 14, 2017, 18:19

Trouble is that nature's priority is to reproduce its plants rather than provide you with food - the parsnip seeds would no doubt germinate, but too late for the plants to produce edible roots this year.

Next year, they would just run to seed again.

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: Kleftiwallah on April 15, 2017, 12:45

Thanks for all those informative answers,  :) I'll try and save seed from them. 

Cheers,  Tony.

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: sarajane on April 17, 2017, 01:29

And if they go to seed they grow exceptionally fast. The stems then can exude rather nasty sap. 2 weeks of antibiotics and an antihistamine injection into my rear end was a nasty testament when pulling up overgrown parsnip.
Just a bit of a warning

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: snowdrops on April 17, 2017, 09:23

Quote from: sarajane on April 17, 2017, 01:29

And if they go to seed they grow exceptionally fast. The stems then can exude rather nasty sap. 2 weeks of antibiotics and an antihistamine injection into my rear end was a nasty testament when pulling up overgrown parsnip.
Just a bit of a warning

Thank you I didn't know that!🙁 Another thing for me to react too

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: Kleftiwallah on May 19, 2017, 20:05

Parsnip update, some nice looking seed heads forming.

Cheers,  Tony. :blush:

Title: Re: Last year's parsnips.
Post by: strangerachael on May 22, 2017, 13:36

Last year I let a couple of parsnips go to seed, to sow this year. I now have several self-sown parsnips growing in odd spaces around the plot! I haven't pulled them out, didn't have the heart, so now they are an experiment, perhaps I will try sowing next year's parsnips this year, when the seeds fall naturally - after all they couldn't be much fresher!