[storm123]

parsnps what causes forking in parsnips

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

If a growing parsnip hits a stone, the parsnip will fork.

Growing them in recently manured soil is often said to cause forking.

Or sowing the seeds in modules and planting them out too late.

[storm123]

hi thanks for advice

[Salmo]

In addition

If tiny roots hit a compacted layer of soil as they go down they will turn sideways and fork. This can be due to walking on the soil too much or cultivating the soil when it is too wet.

If the soil is acid the roots may not develop properly.

If roots are bitten by pests such as symphalids the damage can cause them to fork.

[Annen]

Touchy little fellers aren't they?
Somewhere on here I saw something about growing them in paper pots which looked interesting
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=11390.msg202440#msg202440

[Salmo]

I will no doubt be shot down by those who successfully get away with it but to my mind starting parsnips off in paper pots is asking for trouble. I suppose if the pot is very deep you might be OK but it is amazing how quickly the roots reach the bottom.

The problem is that by the time seedlings are judged big enough to be planted out the root has already reached the bottom and gone sideways. If you are lucky a single strong secondary root takes over as tap root. If you are unlucky several secondary roots form and result in fangy roots.

[mumofstig]

I start them in 7 inch deep paper pots and by the time the 2nd lot of leaves are beginning to show the toots are near the bottom  They really do grow that quickly.

The ideal is to plant out as soon as you have germination 

[JayG]

Any obstruction will cause the root to fork - it's usually stones responsible for that but lumps of manure could also have the same effect, although there have been one or two dissenting voices on here about the latter. 

If your soil is poor make sure you feed them at least a couple of times throughout the growing season - they might be a better shape grown without fresh manure but they don't take kindly to being starved.

[azubah]

If you bang a metal rod into the soil, wiggle it about to make a hole wide at the top and narrow at the bottom for each parsnip, then fill the holes with compost and sow into that, they tend to grow to the shape of the hole instead of forking.

[MyAchingBack]

If you bang a metal rod into the soil, wiggle it about to make a hole wide at the top and narrow at the bottom for each parsnip, then fill the holes with compost and sow into that, they tend to grow to the shape of the hole instead of forking.

That's a great idea. I'm going to give that a try.

[storm123]

thanks for good advice