[brian17smith]

I have successfully grown parsnips on the allotment for the past three years. This year although i have used the same long variety the parsnips have been very large and bulbous with lots of thick side roots wrapped around the main root. The only difference from before is that I started the seed off in paper tubes filled with compost and planted these into the soil when the parsnips had produced seedlings.
Any ideas why the parsnips were different this year. The soil is light but not sandy and was not manured last year.

[DD.]

I rather think you've answered your own question there, when you quote the only thing you did differently.

Parsnips do not like root disturbance and you have to be very careful in transplanting them.

If it wasn't broken, why did you try and fix it?

[gillie]

My guess is that you did not plant out the paper tubes until the tap roots had reached the bottom of the tube.  They were then liable to get damaged when you moved the tubes around or planted them out.

It is this slight damage either at planting out time or because the root has hit a stone or chunk or manure as it grows that causes forking.

[savbo]

i think even if the tap root hasn,t emerged, the physical damage to fine root structure will lead them to throw out new rootlets. Happended to me this season, some right wierd looking ones...

[Kristen]

Most of my newspaper-pot raised Parsnips are normal, cone shaped, large roots.

I plant out the newspaper pots as soon as the first true leaf appears - so about 3 weeks from initial germination.  Don't delay beyond that (and thus you need to start hardening off 7 - 10 days after germination starts)

[Yorkie]

I agree with the others that it's related to the paper pots and how long you kept the parsnip in the pot before planting out.  It sounds as though the roots started circling when they hit the limits of the pot

[Sweatndirt]

They sound exactly like mine.  I put it down to leaving them in the paper pots too long.  When I came to plant them the roots and pushed through the sides and into each other and hence the dreaded root disturbance the snips don't like when I planted them out.

Although they looked weird and were more difficult to peel, they still tasted great