[jambop]

So for the first time in France I am going to grow some parsnips... partly due to the fact I am installing drip irrigation as the soil gets very dry in summer . So what I did was take a steel rod belt it into the soil and rotate it to create a cone in the soil  open it out a bit with a dibber then back filled with gp compost. I then sowed three seeds on each station... the idea being to thin  down to one strong seedling when they are away. Now I just thought will the seedling that I choose automatically follow the compost even though it is not bang central? I hope so or my idea is a doozy 

[sunshineband]

It sounds a great idea... parsnips do seem to have their own nature, but I imagine that if the root of one "one the edge" touched the harder soil surrounding your cone, it will turn slightly into softer soil

Only time will tell, and not until the end of the season at that! If your effort is anyhting to go by, you shold have some excellent parsnips jambop 

[JayG]

Firstly you will be able to congratulate yourself for getting them to germinate (not everyone gets that far!)
No guarantee the roots will grow exactly where you want them to, but you've got a much better chance of straight parsnips using the technique, especially if your soil is stony.

[rowlandwells]

a friend and fellow gardener always puts warm water on his parsnip seed when sowing he says it helps germination he must be doing something rite as he grows very good parsnips

[jambop]

Firstly you will be able to congratulate yourself for getting them to germinate (not everyone gets that far!)
No guarantee the roots will grow exactly where you want them to, but you've got a much better chance of straight parsnips using the technique, especially if your soil is stony.

Soil is not stoney but is fairly shallow and dries out in the summer heat that is why I am trying drip irrigation it seems that the water gets deeper into thew soil because it is not being sprayed about the place. Now I did not know that parsnips were difficult to germinate... is it a temperature / moisture balance thing? WEe get the soil war quite early in year here so if it is temp then I might be OK. I have them sown under a small poly tunnel to keep the ground warm but if moisture is critical will have to make sure they are kept watered.

[JayG]

I've posted this link to a table of germination rate and speed more than once before, but hopefully it remains no less relevant, and certainly shows why parsnips, traditionally sown early, either take forever to germinate, or rot or are eaten before they get round to it (note that the temperatures in the table are soil, rather than air, temperatures.)

I guess the moisture issue follows on from that - because the seeds are very papery and slow to germinate at the best of times, the chances of them drying out before germination are quite high, so they need to be kept moist at all times if possible. Good luck! 

[timdunn]

I use the same pole and compost technique every year and only get the occasional parsnip that isn’t straight. After planting my seeds and watering, I cover the row with a plank of wood for a week or so which helps reduce evaporation and germination is good. My mistake in the first few years was planting too early but less likely to be a problem where you live!

[Pescador]

I checked the soil temperature 1cm deep on my plot in S.Wales a couple of days ago, and it was 10C. I was pleasantly surprised that it was that warm, but I still won't sow my parsnips for another 2 or 3 weeks.
I did put a row of beetroot in, so it'll be interesting to compare emergence time with the table.
A very big Thank You to JayG for that table, very useful indeed!

[Grubbypaws]

JayG your link doesnt work. Could you try again please it sounds very useful.

Thank you

[JayG]

Try it from here ('Germination temperatures'.):
https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=3301.0

Edit: have modified link in original post and it now works (I hope!)

[rowlandwells]

for me parsnips seem to be one of the hardest things to grow I have started  my seed of in paper pots last year I went with toilet roll holders again couldn't seem to get things rite


but not to give up I'm going to have another go with toilet roll holders or cardboard tube I seem someone sow parsnips on the tele in toilet roll holders and they put the planted holders all together in a tray and secured them with a rubber band seemed like a good idea


when i sow the seed in the cardoard tube maybe I'm leaving it to long before planting in the ground  i could' be damaging the tap root ?

[AlaninCarlisle]

someone sow parsnips on the tele in toilet roll holders and they put the planted holders all together in a tray and secured them with a rubber band seemed like a good idea

That's exactly how I'm doing mine this year