[islander]

 i'm not sure where to begin.  currently in wales at the moment but i live in the outer hebrides though i'm no back up there till mid-may.  i've bought the seeds, got the ground, but not sure where to begin when it comes to growing my own.  the soil's obviously peaty, and we very rarely have frosts.  So do these two factors mean no parsnips?  

[John]

Never say die!

If I understand you properly, you are in Wales until mid-May, then the far north.

You could start your parsnips in pots - sow about half a dozen seeds in  pot, thin to one and then transplant when you get up there.  No frosts won't stop them growing but will affect how long you can leave them in the ground.

If the winter is too warm the parsnip bursts back to life. So harvest and store in peat. Just twist the foliage off about an inch from the crown.

Warning with parsnips, the foliage can irritate the skin, so wear gloves to twist it off with.

I'm not sure how you grow up in the Hebrides - I hear tales of winds blowing away greenhouses. But you have seaweed.

Sorry, I missed your post. until now.

[king cauli]

im sorry i missed your post untill now too

[WG.]

 i'm not sure where to begin.  currently in wales at the moment but i live in the outer hebrides though i'm no back up there till mid-may.  i've bought the seeds, got the ground, but not sure where to begin when it comes to growing my own.  the soil's obviously peaty, and we very rarely have frosts.  So do these two factors mean no parsnips?  

You can plant parsnips direct in the ground right through May and even up until middle of June.  They will still give you a decent crop with the long daylight hours at that latitude.

I guess you are asking about frost since frost improves the flavour of parsnips.  I've never been short of frost myself but, if I was, I'd try simulating a frost by refrigerating / freezing them (unwashed).  You don't want to actually freeze them completely but directly underneath the freezer compartment in many fridges will give you sub-zero temperatures.

PS : Welcome to the gang

[muntjac]

absolutly right agin WG  your getting good at this now aint ya   chilling brings the sugars out in parsnips .its a protective action for them but it makes em sweet for us i guess if it didnt we wouldnt eat em so parsnips are stupid huh  

[king cauli]

they may be stupid but mine can take that beacause they have broad shoulders