[Growster...]

I have had gardeners say to me "just put two parsnip seeds every 8" and pull out the weakest seedling". It just does not work for me! It would save a lot of work if it did.
One year I sowed them in February, and it just happened to be a warm Feb, and they came up very nicely, but that happened only once. Since then they won't germinate in the ground whenever I sow them. I even tried sowing them every 2 weeks for a while. Perhaps they do get eaten. At least if we do them in loo rolls we can see if one disappears, and replace it.

It may seem an onerous measuring task Azubs, and definitely high in the faff stakes, but I reckon I'll do some in paper pots and some straight in the ground, but alternatively. So it's a pinch, then a pot, then a pinch again and so on...!

I think it might cover all eventualities, and if one lot fail, then the others'll grow bigger because of the increased room.

You have to believe that one year, I individually planted and spaced carrot seeds in a long deep planter, and it was the best crop I'd ever grown. I saved much more time than that one hour it took, with no further thinning and no fiddly weeding (letting in the dreaded fly).

[Pony Girl]

I managed to grow some last year - they weren't record breakers or anything but did taste delicious! I sowed them straight into the ground but didn't know about thinning or anything so it was all a bit of a mish mash when I came to harvesting and we had some really tiny ones entwined in with them that were all tangled up.

I'm planning on doing two beds of them this year as they're so scrummy so they'd better work!

[Anton]

I had gaps in my parsnip rows last year so I place seeds on a damp paper in plastic box until I saw them germinating then placed them in pots made from newspaper until they started then planted them. Worked a treat.

Anton

[DD.]

Whatever the method, I think most of us agree that sowing parsnips in January is not the best of ideas.

[JayG]

Ive posted this link before, but you might find it interesting or even useful for several types of veg seeds, especially if you are the impatient type when it comes to parsnip germination (at a soil temperature of 32F 82% of them should germinate but you would be waiting for 5 months!!) 

[DD.]

Slightly OT, but look how lettuce germination plummets at the top end!

I'll remember this link for when people get their propagators out for them!

[gobs]

Ive posted this link before, but you might find it interesting or even useful for several types of veg seeds, especially if you are the impatient type when it comes to parsnip germination (at a soil temperature of 32F 82% of them should germinate but you would be waiting for 5 months!!) 

But the soil temperature would not remain so in the process though. So you would/do need to wait a lot less.

[stompy]

I sow mine in loo roll inners in feruary,

I get 99% germination from 3 seeds per roll and pinch out the weakest.
As soon as i see the leaves comming through they go into the ground with a bulb planter and i put fleece over them, i always get good roots this way and get only the odd few forked.

I don't bother sowing direct anymore as i get very poor germination even when sowed under a cloche, and i've tried them all months through the spring time right up to June.

I do sever sowings as we eat alot of parsnips and we don't like them too big, so once they are around 2" accross the shoulder we begin to harvest.

So for me the sooner you can get them in the better however you chose to do it!

[toxorebel]

Kitchen roll inners?

[bigben]

I have usually tended to sow mine in loo roll tubes and then use a bulb planter to dig holes and drop them in once they germinate. However I have often found they fork as by the time you see much on top, the root is coming out of the tube at the bottom  so it then does not grow true.

The first time I tried to sow them I planted them direct but they took ages to germinate and so many little weeds popped up I struggled to recognise which were parsnip seedlings and which were weeds. I think a weeded out quite a few parsnips that year.

This year the plan is to dig holes with a bulb planter, then bang in a pole to get the hole nice and deep and fill with a compost/sand mix. I can then sow as others suggest, a few every 8 inches and should be able to recognise the parsnips as they should be the only ones coming up from the compost. With any luck I might get some nice shaped ones this year as there will be no replanting.

[stompy]

bang in a pole to get the hole nice and deep and fill with a compost/sand mix. I can then sow as others suggest, a few every 8 inches and should be able to recognise the parsnips as they should be the only ones coming up from the compost. With any luck I might get some nice shaped ones this year as there will be no replanting.

Known as station sowing, Tried that too and still got poor germination!

What works for one person doesn't always work for others but that is a good way.

[azubah]

If they are sown too early, and they come up, will they go to seed too quickly?