[alfman]

I've always had problems germinating and growing straight parsnips so I'm going to try starting them off in root trainers. Has anyone tried doing this and if so, with what results?

[Headgardener22]

I used to grow them using toilet rolls but the problem was that they got to the bottom of the tube and then stopped growing any longer.

I think it depends on your soil (I'm on relatively heavy clay) so I grow stumpier varieties and am pleased by the occasional long one rather than being annoyed by the stumpy ones.

A couple of years ago, I tried chitting them and then carefully planting the seeds that had just chitted. It didn't seem to improve the quality of the parsnips but at least I could separate them down the row.

[moose]

They are likely to reach the bottom of the root trainer before you see the top growth. Most people advise against transplanting parsnips and carrots, the root disturbance causes them to fork. Lots of other threads on the site with peoples experience of various methods.

[Nobbie]

Have you tried sowing direct in the ground? Some suggest using a crowbar to make a conical hole and then filling with compost or sieved soil to avoid stones forking the roots. Sow a few seeds at each station and the thin. I think transplanting is always asking for trouble as you may get delayed by weather or other work and a few days could make a big difference.

[Aidy]

The best method I have tried and use now is to pre-chit them.
Sandwich the seed between two sheets of damp kitchen roll and place in a tupperware box, leave in a warm place and check everyday after 5 days have gone by, when the the little chit has sprut then place in the ground.
You need good soil as mentioned above, being Blackpool we are blessed with sand so for me snips n carrots are a doddle.
The good part of this method is you only sow germinated seed!

[Kristen]

I'm going to try starting them off in root trainers. Has anyone tried doing this and if so, with what results?

Any damage to the tap root on planting out will mean that they fork like a glove ...

I grow mine in Newspaper pots which are probably 4" - 6" tall to give them a decent root run, and I plant them out "whole" as the newspaper rots down in the soil.

Friends of mine plant out the moment that the seed leaves show (I think that would be critical for loo rolls which are not as tall as my newspaper pots), I plant out the moment that the first true leaf shows - even then one or two will have the tap root showing out of the bottom of the pot.

Root trainers rely on a good formation of roots when planting out to stop the rootball falling to bits on planting. I doubt very much that your Parsnips will achieve that, so the likelihood is that the soil will fall off the roots when you plant out and the tap root will be damaged.

Sowing direct definitely the best method, but I can never get on my (heavy clay) soil early enough - its both wet, and cold, hence I grow in newspaper pots instead.

[Eblana]

Have you tried sowing direct in the ground? Some suggest using a crowbar to make a conical hole and then filling with compost or sieved soil to avoid stones forking the roots. Sow a few seeds at each station and the thin.

I used this method last year and got beautiful long straight parsnips for the first time ever.

[alfman]

Thanks everybody, I'll take note of everything you say.
Cheers.

[Snoop]

I do the same as Kristen and grow Guernsey, a stumpy variety. They don't look like the usual parsnip, far more rounded than pointy, but they're pretty big (half a kilo and more apiece once peeled and trimmed) and taste fantastic. I don't grow them to show and when they're on the plate or in the soup bowl, it doesn't matter what they once looked like.

[Kristen]

last year got beautiful long straight parsnips for the first time ever.

I ... grow Guernsey, a stumpy variety

I don't want fantastically long, beautifully tapered, roots - mine are not for the show bench, they are for the pot & plate. The skinny end of the root is too thin to cook with the roast anyway ... and usually breaks off in the ground when I harvest them.

How do you growers of long-roots get them out of the ground?  Mine are not all that long, but they are still a nightmare to get out. I'm on heavy clay and definitely cannot just wiggle them and pull them out - I have to excavate around them before then trying to get a fork significantly deeper than the root to extract "most" of it.  I get at least 12" out of the ground, which is a fair bit more than my topsoil which is around 9", and the tap root is still 1/2" at that point (where it breaks off)

I don't grow a stumpy variety, but I suspect that growing them in newspaper pots to start with provides them with decent compost for the 6" or so depth of the pot, and the Parsnip root first of all makes itself at home in that ... hence the main part of the root is only 9" or so long.

when they're on the plate or in the soup bowl, it doesn't matter what they once looked like.

Quite

I might try a stumpy variety this year and compare the "effort" in harvesting them

[Snoop]

I might try a stumpy variety this year and compare the "effort" in harvesting them

My soil is getting looser by the year as I add compost and muck to it, but I don't have as much difficulty as you in digging them up. I sometimes leave a bit of root behind, but not much. I should add that my parsnips often have more than one root, but I just chop them off and use the main top, which sounds pretty much like what you do.

I'm going to try some White Gem seed tape this year, as well as my usual deepish paper pots (around four or five inches) with Guernsey. As much as anything just because I spotted the tape. I'm quite happy with the Guernsey's I grew this year.

[Nobbie]

I never bother to get the whole parsnip out, only the bit that's useful for cooking. I'm on clay and just put a spade in and then heave the big part of the root out. Anything less than an inch wide is not worth bothering about for me.

[surbie100]

I do the same as Kristen and grow Guernsey, a stumpy variety. They don't look like the usual parsnip, far more rounded than pointy, but they're pretty big (half a kilo and more apiece once peeled and trimmed) and taste fantastic. I don't grow them to show and when they're on the plate or in the soup bowl, it doesn't matter what they once looked like.

Am going to try White Gem (stumpy) this year, along with The Student (not stumpy) seeds from last year's seed circle and see what I get. Both to be sown à la Kristen in paper pots.

[Sparkyrog]

Trying pelleted seed for first time ever .