[sam51]

hi ,all, why have my parsnips turned out like this,
had trouble before, so this year I planted them in cardboard tubes 12" long 150mm diameter.
with jacks magic and nice soft soil mixed,
really disappointed. thanks.

[JayG]

Forking is usually caused by the root hitting one or more obstructions (usually stones.)

It's possible the soil mixture was too rich for them, causing the roots to branch and head off in the direction of the nutrients rather than the single tap root being obliged to head straight downwards in search of food.

Another possibility is shortage of water - again, the roots branch to seek out moisture wherever they can find it.

[Thrutchington]

Did you include sand in the mix? Jacks magic might have been abit rich and moisture retentive meaning you'd get multiple tap roots like that. I'd mix a good load of sand in next time, dig the bed well down to at least 18" depth from your seed planning height and keep the soil quite lean from a nutrients perspective. Occasional feed with a general purpose diluted fertiliser once established.