parsnips

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rowlandwells

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parsnips
« on: October 31, 2021, 13:27 »
yes its Parsnips again folks I know I've talked about growing Parsnips before but growing Parsnip is just the one thing I can't seem to conquer how ever more I try :(

methods tried paper pots peat pots modules direct sowing all not really worked so its back to the drawing board for some professional advise or to be precise brain picking from all those gardeners who grow good parsnips  :D

so to all those professional parsnip growers  how to achieve good Parsnips what  is the best way to start my parsnip seed please don't tell me on a paper kitchen towel anything but that  :nowink:

 depending on me cracking the parsnip seed germination  ;)
I intend growing my parsnips on a raised bed to  I firstly cover the ground with a Bi-Degradable sheet or film then make hole in the sheet and soil and fill it with compost and sharp sand because I know  parsnips take some time to actually grow so the B/D sheet would stop the weeds and at the same time give the parsnips less to complete with the weed growth ?
 
I know I keep rattling on about this Bi-degradable cover or sheeting but to me its seems the way forward to supress both weeds  giving plants better  growth saving time and effort when we could be doing other jobs on the allotment and as its Degradable it should last the time from planting to harvest

I understand this method is not every ones cup of tea I must admit but it be seems to me on the same lines
as the no dig gang so I took the chance and bought a couple of rolls of this B/D sheeting when it was on offer so its going to be a suck it and see thing next season

so as for my parsnip growing HELP :D



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snowdrops

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2021, 19:40 »
Well as I’m be said before, I cover my ground with a thick well rotted mulch( manure or homemade compost, then when the weather is warm enough!! I sow direct. To be honest it rarely fails, just occasionally I’ve had to sow again because of torrential rain usually & this year I used up some seed tape I came across in my boxes of seed & they failed next to rows done as described.
Photo’s of last years efforts
4463E572-D2C0-4E49-8B8C-B3D213C0FA1E.jpeg
0FEAB5B5-E432-4143-A05D-ADA30D34D2F9.jpeg
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Blewit

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2021, 07:54 »
I'm in the same camp as Snowdrops. Cover the bed each year with homemade compost and sometime around April 23rd sow direct into damp shallow drills. Cover over afterwards and firm down well so the compost makes good contact with the seed. We get two rows in a 1m wide bed and plant lettuce down the centre as a catch crop (which when watered keeps the parsnip seed damp). Our beds haven't been dug for almost 7 years now.
The biodegradable sheet sounds a good idea but I wonder if it might harbour slugs which could graze off seedlings as they emerge, if you can't spare enough homemade compost a half inch covering of shop bought multi-purpose will suffice.
We also only use fresh seed and never keep it over for next year.
Parsnips in the photos are Gladiator - pics taken 2019 and 2020.


Leeks and snips.jpg
Parsnip.JPG

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jambop

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2021, 10:20 »
For me I find sowing  F1 seed not older than one year old in open ground when the soil is warm is best. I keep them well watered and they usually get away. I have one bed this year again the tops are about two feet high and I have no idea what is under the ground just hoping to find so at Christmas  :lol:  I was not disappointed last year so fingers crossed.

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Grubbypaws

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2021, 11:12 »
I too sow direct with fresh F1 seeds (Gladiator) and as others here cover the bed each year with home-made compost and when the soil is warm enough sow direct into 'stations'. The only thing to add is that I plant a good few seeds at each station and thin if/when needed. There are always too many seeds for my needs and since I will not be using them again the following year I basically use all the seeds up, sometimes planting 6 seeds at each station. It is rare for me to get no germination but reasonably common to only get 1 or 2 which justifies the method for me.

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AndyRVTR

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2021, 18:17 »
Fresh seed is the most important thing imo, without them germination will be poor. I sow mine in individual stations with sieved soil in the cone shaped holes. I warm the soil up by covering the bed with black poly sheeting for a week or two prior to sowing, pop the seed in its station and cover with a few mm of sieved soil, water in and leave them to it. If the soil looks dry ill give it a light watering to keep the top moist which helps the seed break through. I may have to replace with one or two new seeds as not everyone will germinate, but once they're through and growing its just a case if watering as and when required, I don't feed them and think I have good results.

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Grubbypaws

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2021, 09:51 »
I don't feed them and think I have good results.

I always put some bonemeal around them once they have germinated. Not sure where I got this from or if it is needed but I get a bumper crop. I also use a custom made (husband) large dibber to create a hole at each station which I fill with compost. This means that the parsnips dont meet anything which will cause them to fork.

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Blackpool rocket

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2021, 16:26 »
To save starting another thread, how long do you leave them in the ground.
I pulled one up about 6 weeks ago out of curiosity. It was tasteless. The foliage is still lush. Do they need to be frosted to get the sugars going..or something?
I've only got about a dozen so am a bit reluctant to pull up another one, don't want to peak too early

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Yorkie

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2021, 18:25 »
Yes, they do need a period of frost to turn the starch to sugar
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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jambop

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2021, 19:18 »

We usually don't get much in the way of frosts and they still taste good but I do not lift any until Christmas .

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sebsands

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2021, 22:22 »
I get pretty fed up with forking parsnip (and carrots) with only about one in ten sraight and true. Any tips on that at all?.
Regarding germination,despite the packet advising sowing from February I`ve leart to sow from April to May depending even then on good warm soil.

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AndyRVTR

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2021, 08:17 »
I get pretty fed up with forking parsnip (and carrots) with only about one in ten sraight and true. Any tips on that at all?.
Regarding germination,despite the packet advising sowing from February I`ve leart to sow from April to May depending even then on good warm soil.
Things that will help prevent carrots/parsnips forking are to make sure your soil is as fine as possible as tap roots that hit anything (stones,pebbles,wood etc) will tend to fork also don't plant into ground that has been freshly manured.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2021, 18:49 by AndyRVTR »

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coldandwindy

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2021, 09:00 »
I only get good results from either newly purchased seed or home saved.  I find home saved seed lasts several years & still gives good germination, whereas bought seed only lasts the one year. Many years of experimenting has led me to always use "tender and true" (I haven't tried any F1 because of seed-saving) but what suits your own conditions will differ.
I cover the bed with home made compost, as much as I have, the deeper the better. The year I dug out a whole old compost heap & put 6-8  inches on, was the best year for roots we've ever had. I usually manage 2-3 inches.
Mark out drills, water the drill if not already wet, then sow & cover .
I sow 2 or 3 seeds together then leave a few inches to the next station. Rather than disturb the roots by thinning I just snip off any extras.
Can't show a photo of this year's, I haven't touched them yet & wont for another month at least.

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snowdrops

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2021, 10:56 »
I’ll add what others have said to my post earlier on here,
Make your seed drill & water it well, sow the seed & cover with dry much (in my case-see earlier post) I don’t water again, obviously if it rains it gets wet because it’s outside  :).
Some advice is to put a board over the row to keep it moist but I’ve never tried this.
As for forking and manure, I use well rotted manure or homemade compost as my mulch and this doesn’t increase the likelihood of forking my experience and as you can see from my original photo’s, yes I do get a bit of forking but nothing to spoil the crop.

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JayG

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Re: parsnips
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2021, 14:57 »
My soil is quite sandy but also stony, so I use a combination of most of the techniques already mentioned - individual planting holes filled with last years' spent MP compost from the GH (boosted with some chicken poo.)

Then I sow 4-5 seeds to each station. Sowing time seems to get later every year - nearly the end of May this year which still gives plenty of time to grow parsnips much larger than the tiddlers sold in supermarkets!  ::)

(There is a risk that if they don't germinate I won't have enough time to sow replacements, but the more certain germination in the warm soil seems to outweigh that, although I have to make sure slugs and snails don't get to them when they first emerge.)

I tend to leave them until the winter festival before starting to harvest, not so much to improve the flavour (ground frosts have been quite rare in recent winters) but because I can't bear the thought of there being nothing out there to harvest.  :(
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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