[tangojulie]

I let one of mine go to seed one year and it made a ginormous splendid plant with enough seed for the whole of Hampshire. So given the attrition rate in nature, why do I feel like GrannieAnnie and hate thinning or wasting seed?

[crh75]

I'm slowly thinning mine, they are delicious!

[Snoop]

If you reckon small ones are better than none, I'd give it a go. Joy Larkham recommends bayonet types rather than stumpy varieties for a quick crop of tender parsnips.

[sunshineband]

I let one of mine go to seed one year and it made a ginormous splendid plant with enough seed for the whole of Hampshire. So given the attrition rate in nature, why do I feel like GrannieAnnie and hate thinning or wasting seed?

I did the same a few years back, but unfortunately it was an F1 variety and the resulting parsnips were quite tough. The seeds that scattered came up everywhere, including in the bark path next to the bed, not just the next year but for the following two years. I bet if I had wanted these to grow they would have stubbornly refused