[yodapete]

I took over my plot in March of this year and have managed to grow a few things in between trying to clear the mares tail and bindweed.  Had a few successes and a few failures.  Cauliflower, carrots, broccoli - total failure. Early and maincrop spuds OK, what the slugs didn't eat were tasty, but the slugs did eat an awful  lot.
Onions and shallots - pretty good. Leeks-(eventually) good, no giants amongs them but all tasty. The major success was a batch of courgettes I was given.  If I can grow things that good , they must be weeds.
Last week I dug up my first parsnips, looked promising, till I lifted them.  Some were only as long as the tops were wide, more like turnips, a few were forked but most were of the Quasimodo variety - the ugliest most twisted roots I've ever seen, whiskers and twisted tendrils all over the place.  The good news is that they all tasted delicious.
Dug some  more today- same story, like a bag full of extras from a Dr Who episode.  Anyone got any ideas why they're growing like this?.  
It's my first attempt at parsnips so I'm pleased that they grew at all but next time I would like to lift some nice long fairly straight roots.
Best wishes to all for Christmas and New Year

[Aunt Sally]

Sounds like you're doing well yodapete.  Parsnips will fork on manured ground, could that have been your problem ?

[gobs]

As your soil gets more tended you shall get better results, especially with root crops, don't hope for much in the first few years of clearing it from weeds. (Pots are not a root.)

It was a cr5p year anyhow. Look up growing roots in the sites huge info fields.

[brucesgirl]

We only had one parsnip grow, and tomorrow is the day for digging it up!!

Hope it's big enough for 10 of us

 :?

[DD.]

Can't get mine out of the ground...

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=7988&highlight=parsnip

[GrannieAnnie]

or have you got stony ground if its not ceared well yet yoda?  I've got well tended ground, no stones and no fresh manure, but I've still had the 'odd' parsnip!!!!