[cc]

White not brown?
First ones out were straight after that see below. Still using them for roasting but I would prefer they be straight. Nearly sure I planted seeds direct and I doubt I have horse manure here. Reference last not positive.
Either way I will be growing again just want to know if anyone knows why they look like an octopus having a fight with its self.

[Yorkie]

Root crops often fork if they hit a stone, or if the soil was recently manured.  Given you doubt that there was recent manure, and given that other crops nearby were straight, I'd suspect that it's a stone instead.

[Growster...]

Marvellous! Salsify is one of the nicest veg ever, and had I been able to get some seed in time this year, I'd have been growing them in buckets!

Those tendrils are still gorgeous as they are, like tender parsnip roots going in all directions, they still taste fantastic! Well done!

Note to self - get the blasted seed in time next year..:0~

[cc]

Stone free. Not sure when I manured it. Definitely not this year. Your right about them still being okay. I only grew them for roasting so still good. Bought some black salsisfy seeds for next year. Can grow up to 2 foot long. Good knows how you would harvest them!

[AnneB]

I like salsify and grew it for a couple of years.  I found it fiendishly difficult to get out of the ground in one piece.  Didn't have any trouble with forking though.