[fletch]

I tend to have hit and miss luck with parsnips. Year before last I started them off in toilet roll tubes and they did ok. Last year I tried the same and didn't get any at all  .

This year I sowed a load in a seed tray in the cold greenhouse and sod's law they've all come up, loads of 'em.

What should I do next? Should I try pricking them out into long cells and grow them on or just transplant them into the outside bed? I'm sure I read/heard that they don't like being moved about?

[DavidT]

You are much better off direct sowing. Sow 4 or 5 seeds at each station. Each station to be 4" apart. When germinated ( which usually takes about 14 days) thin out to the strongest seedling per station. When the plants are big enough to use as baby `snips. take out every other one leaving the maincrop to mature at an 8" spacing.

[JayG]

Having obviously managed to persuade your parsnip seeds about "the joy of germination" they will grow long roots very quickly so a relatively shallow seed tray is a bad place for them.

I have found transplanting parsnip "thinnings" to be very successful but mine were sown outdoors and were therefore probably quite a bit bigger and stronger than yours.

Try it! (I'd suggest sowing another row near or between the transplanted rows as a back-up; you can always hoe them off or thin/transplant as appropriate!)

[Beetroot queen]

I have sowed 3 batches so far and not one of the b****s have appeared I have given up for this year at least

Moved on to something that will grow for me 

[DavidT]

When did you sow them and how deep?

[Beetroot queen]

When did you sow them and how deep?

Hubby says 

"as deep as it says on the packet" 

One lot 6 weeks ago indoors, one lot 4 weeks ago indoors and one lot two weeks ago outside 

[DavidT]

They need to be planted at no more than a 1/4". The ones sown outdoors still have a chance as they take around 14 days to germinate.

[fletch]

Well I might have a go at transplanting them, I've nothing to lose I guess.

David T, I like that stationing idea   I'm sure I have half a packet left so I'll give that a go too. I WILL get some parsnips this year  .

[Beetroot queen]

They need to be planted at no more than a 1/4". The ones sown outdoors still have a chance as they take around 14 days to germinate.

I told hubby and he just said ooopppss 

[diggin@diggle]

Hello
Last year I chitted the seeds in a tray  lined with damp kitchen roll and covered the tray with tin foil. Keep the paper damp and in a few days a root will appear. I then transfered them using the wife's tweezers (obviously I didn't tell her) into toilet roll tubes. I had a 100% success rate and some fantastic parsnips
Hope this helps

[Janeymiddlewife]

My snips took ages last year, mind you as I'd never grown them before a few were "weeded" until I realised what I'd done.
No signs of mine yet either, my uncle swears by delaying planting until April, so I'll stick some in soon and see if they catch up with the march sown one (if they ever come through!)

[Cheshire Phill]

I've done both this year - have successfully started some in root-trainers and transplanted to a half-barrel and potato-growing bags,  - these look great and are well on.

Others I sowed direct as David T says, 2-3 per station, crowbar holes with sand/compost mix in, and these were under fleece....and have taken over 3 weeks to germinate, but are now just showing. Patience is important here, but it has been cold, so worth sowing more as back-ups in case they don't make it at all.

I've also put two more direct rows in, around the same time as I was re-sowing my [tto early] carrots...LOL!!...but remember, its not worth keeping the seed anyway, so get it used!!

Phill 

[chimaera]

I did some direct in my (very clay) soil and some in paper pots last year, with the latter sowed 3 weeks before the former, and the results were identical. This year I have just directly sown the lot.

Advise they don't give you on the packet; do not sow 'snips on a windy day (like i did)- the seeds are wind distributed and the bleed'n things went everywhere.

Charlie

[Jonajo]

Yesterday I simply sowed 5 or 6 seeds in each hole/station that I made with the end of the dibber - exactly as I did last year. Almost all holes got at least one germination and hence full parsnip ultimately.

Might seem a waste of seed but they don't keep till the following year, they are cheap as chips and there is always more than enough to do several allotments worth of parsnips!!!

Now if, for some reason,  a station does not have a germination after several weeks - and you will notice immediately where there is a gap in the rows, simply put a few more seeds in each "empty station. They will catch up eventually with the rest although there is no rush at all of course, especially not with parnips.

[aelf]

never had much luck with 'snips before so this year, I planted 50 seeds in Richy pots about 4 weeks ago (in the greenhouse) and, so far, 30 have germinated. I intend to plant them out in a couple of weeks when the true leaves come through. Should be minimal root disturbance as the plants will go in, pot and all.

Fingers crossed!