[supervegman]

HI all i want to grow some parsnips for next winter, i know it early to ask, but wanna get more organused next year. Any idea on best variety and, can they be sown early ij modules or toilet rolls to plant out later say in feb march time under fleece?

[Yorkie]

Variety really does depend on what you want - there are different shapes, canker resistance etc.

You will find mixed views on here about whether it's worth starting them off in toilet rolls before planting them out.  They grow a long tap root quickly so modules aren't a good idea.  Some people pre-germinate them on damp paper first, but you really must transplant them within days of germination or you will damage the root.

I personally don't sow until March / April, when germination outdoors is more reliable, and they always catch up.

[JayG]

I can't add to or disagree with anything Yorkie has just said!  

[AndyRVTR]

My eldest brother, who has had an allotment for as long as I can remember always swears by direct sowing.
His method, although a little time consuming, works everytime, with no failures that I can ever remember.
He uses a 4' steel 'pinch' bar to drive a hole in the soil of his raised beds, and works it in a circular motion creating a cone shape, he drives the bar as deep as it will go, and then fills each hole with a mix of finely sifted compost/sand mix and pops two seeds in about 1/2 inch from the top, he then covers the seeds with normal compost and waters in.
I've managed to get the soil in one of my raised beds sieved really fine, so I think I will be trying to grow my parsnips this way next year... 

[Babstreefern]

I always do direct sowing when the ground is warmer.  I tried germinating on damp paper towels, and none succeeding in growing, whereas, when I've planted them in the ground I get 100% success rate

[Pompey Spud]

I agree with Andy.
This is the 1st year I've grown snips with great results. Station sow is the way to go and do it late March early April as germination success improves....strange that..

[Aidy]

First I have grown them this year, I tried pre-germ + direct sown. Both methods produced excellent germination results, however the biggest by far have been the pre-germinated ones, not sure why but they are a lot bigger than the direct sown. Was it the head start theory? No there was only a week or two between them, so next year they will all be pre-germed.

[davethespread]

i grew the same parsnip as last year,but sadly this year they seem to be tougher where as last year they were lovely and tender,do you reckon it may have been the weather we had through the summer?

[aelf]

I tried a different way this year - I started them off in Richy's paper pots (Feb) in the greenhouse, which gave me about 85% germination and planted them out when the second set of leaves started to show. I found that by using a piece of 2" diameter pipe pushed into the ground to make the hole, I could just drop the whole plant in without disturbing the root.

This has been my best year for parsnips