[Elm street]

We sowed early to no avail!
We then did a second sowing later in the season into a 12" deep trench filled with an MPC/sieved soil mix and every seed took 
We now have some beauties but they are a bit stumpy, i suppose due to the MPC.

[Headgardener22]

I read somewhere that Parsnips require it "warm" to germinate then "cool" to grow. Hence they did well in 2012 when it was warm(er) early in the year then cooler through the summer.

[Goosegirl]

I doubt the MPC made them stumpy as some varieties are like that.

[Snoop]

I don't do very well with direct sowing, I suspect because it's very windy here in spring so the surface of the soil keeps drying out quickly after watering. (The dogs chasing after foxes and trampling over the beds didn't help last year either.)

So I grow a stumpy type (Guernsey) and germinate them in paper pots, which I plant out as soon as I can after the first leaves appear. That means it's probably too late to get a 'true' parsnip root, but with stumpy varieties it doesn't seem to matter too much. Because I use paper pots (which are already almost collapsing by the time I put them out) and tear the bottom gently when planting out, the roots don't seem to find it too difficult to grow, whereas cardboard loo roll liners will take longer to rot away.

Direct sowing must surely be the best method, but I get satisfactory parsnips. I picked one yesterday that was absolutely huge. More like a turnip in shape but delicious parsnip flavour. No canker and a perfectly edible core (steamed for a few minutes and then finished off in a frying pan with a few sausages... not healthy I guess but very good!).

[Kristen]

Direct sowing must surely be the best method ...

Soil very heavy here and I'd never, easily, get on it early enough in the year to have a long enough growing season, so I start mine off in newspaper-tube "pots" which I can sow at any convenient time, including after dark, and then plant out when ready. That gives me at least a month from sowing-to-planting which gives the ground & weather plenty of time to get warm enough and dry enough

Risk of some glove-shaped roots, but apart from fiddly peeling they are very usable and taste the same.

[AnneB]

The best results for parsnips for me involve sowing late, around the first week in May, when it is warm enough for germination, and sowing direct without faffing around with loo roll tubes or transplanting.  Great success every time.  I grow Tender and True, reliable and very tasty.   I net under enviromesh in the same bed as the carrots.

[Kristen]

The best results for parsnips for me involve sowing late, around the first week in May

Blimey never dared sow them that late. I will try some half-and-half with my usual method this year and see how it goes; definitely Some Faff involved in making / growing in Tubes ...

[JaniceB]

Having just rescued all my parsnips today, I checked my notebook and I sowed mine direct on 26th April. It took 2-3 weeks but they germinated very well and I foolishly did not thin them as I didn't want to lure the carrot fly in.
They were Tender and True from Real Seeds and sown in a 1x1m raised bed to give them a fighting chance in the clay.

This evening's soup was very tasty!

[AnneB]

The best results for parsnips for me involve sowing late, around the first week in May

Blimey never dared sow them that late. I will try some half-and-half with my usual method this year and see how it goes; definitely Some Faff involved in making / growing in Tubes ...

You are a bit further south than me, so a week or so earlier might be OK for you.   My parsnips were full size by September, so the late sowing doesn't seem to hold them back.

[Yorkshire Lass]

The best results for parsnips for me involve sowing late, around the first week in May

Blimey never dared sow them that late. I will try some half-and-half with my usual method this year and see how it goes; definitely Some Faff involved in making / growing in Tubes ...

Just had a look at my diary and I sowed chitted parsnips on the 2nd June and we will be enjoying them on Christmas day.  A late sowing worked for me this year 

[theothermarg]

Must admit that my 2nd sowing of parsnips ( those that the muntjac missed) were a good size  I hadn't got around to thinning them out (that was done for me) but the fact they grew thickly showed they had good germination.
Note in dairy, keep you nerve and sow late and grow with carrots under enviromeash
marge

[Aidy]

I have for many years pre chitted using the damp kitchen paper method and have never had issues but I have perfect sandy soil so rarely see them fork.
The best part is you only sow the ones that have pre chitted so you know they have germinated.
Would not use any other method.

[cadalot]

Anyone have a photograph of what a chitted Parsnip seed looks like?

[Kristen]

Anyone have a photograph of what a chitted Parsnip seed looks like?

No, that would be really sad and make me look like a Geek ...



Luckily I only have a picture of Parsnip Seed Chitting

[DD.]

To save you the bother, I've Googled it for you! 

http://s257.photobucket.com/user/colouritgreen/media/chittedparsnips.jpg.html