[DD.]

Excellent to eat. Did 2 x full meals & then mashed in spuds for a pie topping.

No secret, my soil is quite light and I have a few patches which are very light.  Just sow a pinch of seed every 8", thin out to the stongest plant, then leave for 7 or 8 months.

[JayG]

Not surprising; it's rumoured that it's actually DD's 11 month-old niece holding the parsnip!!

OK DD I willingly give up; my parsnips last year were better than for years but nothing like your monster!

(Still curious to know what your niece has been fed on this last 11 months!) 

[arnie]

After my first year at this allotment lark - my parsnips are this size too. Should i delay sowing til march to provide smaller less woodier roots?

[8doubles]

After my first year at this allotment lark - my parsnips are this size too. Should i delay sowing til march to provide smaller less woodier roots?

I wish i could get them to grow that early. What variety do you grow , my gladiators get huge but never woody.

[arnie]

Not sure what variety they were - they wer out of a value selection pack from B & Q . A friend at work give me his secret though , dont sow in rows - use a dibber,waggleing it to produce a tapered hole in a grid sort of way- then fill it with potting compost, sow three seeds on top and cover with half inch of more compost the lightly water. I didn't think i had worked as the weeds took to sprout but they eventually came good allowing the weeds to be pulled .Dont forget to thin to one shoot though as i missed several thinking it wouldnt matter but it does  - you end up with them growing round each other - fun shapes to laugh at though. - good luck this year!

[DD.]

After my first year at this allotment lark - my parsnips are this size too. Should i delay sowing til march to provide smaller less woodier roots?

Mine are not woody & were sown in April.  Later is not neccesarily smaller as germination is faster.

[adri]

seen a photo of one on a mates mobile phone that took two people to carry.

no photoshop - comfrey!!

[DD.]

Seeing a photo of one on someone else's mobile phone can hardly be described as proof.

The world record for a parsnip is less than 13 lbs. This can be carried by one person, it's a damn ugly thing that scarely resembles a parsnip, which at least those produced by our forum members do.

http://www.gvgo.ca/gallery/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=7

[adri]

I have no reason to suspect it was anything other than true.  No proof needed for me as I trust my friend to be a competent gardener and not a liar.  He said they ate off that parsnip for several days...wish mine would grow so big. 

I'll try to get some photos.

Nick