[Kleftiwallah]

Good morning everyone,  I have carried out a test to see which parsnip seed in the most viable, but this has brought up a problem.  As soon as the roots emerge they cling like the proverbial to the substrate and I'm damaging the root trying to remove them to pot them on.

Can anyone recommend a material that retains moisture but in which the tiny roots cannot get entangled ?

Looking forward to your answers.   Cheers,  Tony.

[JayG]

Not had a problem using ordinary kitchen roll paper as the substrate, but if I did, and assuming I'd spaced the seeds out evenly, I'd just tear off each one and plant out, paper'n'all.

OK, a bit fiddly, but no-one said you had to chit them in the first place!   

[Kleftiwallah]

Hello JayG,
In the past  I haven't had much luck planting parsnips directly into the ground so I'm trying to pre sprout them.  Now why didn't I think about cutting the paper up!  That's what I do with my chilli seeds.

I've scattered parsnip seeds in a couple of plastic takeaway trays and covered with damp kitchen paper.  Fingers crossed. 

Cheers,   Tony.

[JayG]

Have had problems in the past, but for the past few years I've sown much later than I used to - 16th May last year. You might think that doesn't leave long enough to grow them to a good size, but works OK for me even up here.

Pic shows the last two from last year's crop, dug 2 days ago (any bigger and I'd have needed a JCB!  )

[AnneB]

I am with JayG on sowing much later - 1st or 2nd week in May for me in Bradford.

I had all sorts of experiments with sowing in loo rolls and transplanting, covering with a scaffolding plank etc until I delayed direct sowing until May.   Last year didn't go so well,not sure why, but before that had 5 years of great success on the trot with direct sowing in May under enviromesh to repel the carrot fly.

[rowlandwells]

that's very interesting JayG because a fellow gardener and a better gardener than me gave me that advise last year sow later [May]  and it worked on my daughters allotment you mite not get tree trunks like JayG but parsnips are parsnips for me big or small not bothered as long as we get a crop

and we also found watering the seed with warm water assisted the germination 

[Goosegirl]

Would a sprinkling of vermiculite help?