[iggyboy60]

Here is a novel idea for starting off your Parsnips at home which you can then take to the plot with a guaranteed full and neat row of parsnips. Get hold of a newspaper,masking tape,ice cream tub and a cylinder shaped object of approx 2" in diameter. You will already have one fold in your newspaper so turn it the opposite way and fold it twice more so has to have four separate folds. Cut down each fold then roll the strips of newspaper round your cylinder shape,which could be an aerosol can,I used a deoderent container. Run a strip of masking tape all the way down the end of the paper strip so as to hold it together. Slide the paper down the cylinder just enough to make a fold on the bottom of the paper so you can seal the bottom of your paper and hey presto you have one homemade container. Continue this process until you have as many containers as you wish to have. The beauty of this idea comes together when you realise that as long as you fill and pack these paper containers side by side with compost into an old ice cream tub they wont fall apart. Put two parsnip seeds in each container and get rid of the weaker one. The trick is to give them one good watering and leave them be until germination. After that carry to the plot in the tub in a carrier bag and put into the ground knowing the paper will simply bio degrade. Jobs a good one

[mumofstig]

Paper pots are very popular on this site and not just for parsnips 

here's our link

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=11390.msg145648#msg145648

[iggyboy60]

Great link Mumofstig,lots of good ideas,but I do feel a bit silly not knowing the link before putting the idea up. I got it from one of the older boys on our site and half thought it would already be known about. It has worked for me with parsnips three years running.

[mumofstig]

It has worked for me with parsnips three years running.

That's what counts, and that's why we do