Have you seen the various threads with ideas of how to grow parsnips, as they are notoriously variable in germinating..... I have today put seeds onto damp kitchen paper in a clear plastic container. When I see which ones have germinated I am going to put them on my allotment. Previously I have made at v shaped trench across a raised bed and then filled it with shop brought compost, then put the germinated seeds onto that. This year I might use a long diner, make holes, fill them with compost and then put seeds on top, lightly covered. I have stony ground so need to put the compost to stop the parsnips from forking.