[AlaninCarlisle]

No, just sown them as normal in shallow drill with about 1cm soil on top

[steved]

As soon as the seedlings emerge I put them outside, so that's been 12 days from starting the fresh seed off on April 11th indoors to having these seedlings outdoors.  I've had to keep an eye on the watering, as the tubes can dry out quickly, inside or outdoors.

Once they're actually growing, they seem to be very reliable. I don't normally lose any at this stage, even though it might be a bit colder still than they'd like.

Do you get any "normal" parsnips though or are they like medusas head?
Ive always found that once the leaves peep out of the top of tubes, that the root is mullered.
I now, after years of faffing about, station sow 3 seeds every station in mid May in pre prepared conical holes and am a very happy man all winter.
Would be interested to know though, as i dont mind a bit of faffing every now and then

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Do you get any "normal" parsnips though or are they like medusas head?
Ive always found that once the leaves peep out of the top of tubes, that the root is mullered.
I now, after years of faffing about, station sow 3 seeds every station in mid May in pre prepared conical holes and am a very happy man all winter.
Would be interested to know though, as i dont mind a bit of faffing every now and then

The parsnips have always been fine; I'll keep updating this thread and post some pictures when I'm harvesting them. I try to plant them out when the root is just coming through at the bottom of the tube, so it shouldn't suffer any damage.
 

[Gardener and Rabbit]

With the temperatures dropping as low as 2c last week, I moved the seedlings into a cold greenhouse overnight, and fortunately they were in there when we had a hailstorm that turned the garden white.

Some tubes had roots starting to show at the bottom when I checked this morning,  so I've planted them out today.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Before planting,  I watered the tubes with some weak liquid feed so that they get off to a good start.

I cultivate the top of the soil,  and then use a trowel to make a parsnip-shaped conical planting hole for each tube.  I don't have many stones in my soil, but any that I find are removed. Make the planting hole deeper than the tube, so the root has cultivated soil to grow down into. This year I've thrown a few potato-fertiliser pellets into each planting hole.

That's pretty much it for now; later on in the season I'll be giving them a couple of foliar feeds.   

[Vagabond]

Goodness, I learn so much every time I read the threads on this forum!
I sowed some parsnip seeds in a tray a couple of weeks ago and put them in/under (?) a cold frame.
They haven't germinated yet, but I might sow some more directly into my raised bed in a week or two and see which ones do best.   

[New shoot]

The trouble with parsnips in a seed tray Vagabond, is the minute the root reaches the bottom of the tray, it forks and then you end up with tangled multi-rooted parsnips, not long single rooted ones.  They taste the same, but are a devil to clean and prepare for cooking 

[Vagabond]

Ah, I hadn't thought of that, New Shoot! Very good point.  Since they haven't germinated yet, I'll move those seeds now I think.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Thought I'd post a mid-May update, for interest, as this is the weekend when the soil should be warm enough for outdoor parsnip sowing.

My soil is now quite dry for seed sowing, as commented on anther thread we seem to be having a bit of a Spring drought in the North.  This is one of the main reasons I use the cardboard tube method, as the roots must already be 8-12 inches deep, given how fast they grow. The nights are also cold again, it was down to 4c last night.

All 20 plants that I put in are growing well and are just developing their second true leaves.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Looks like we're at peak parsnip leaf now, so I thought I'd post an update on how they've got on through the growing season. They'd already got their roots down during the May/June drought we had in the North, and have thrived with all the rain since. I've given them the occasional foliar feed along the way to encourage them.

[Wiltshire Worms]

Hood luck, I wait for your results

[Swing Swang]

...and then use a trowel to make a parsnip-shaped conical planting hole for each tube...

I find that a waist high bulb planter makes this part of the task much quicker/easier on the back

[Gardener and Rabbit]

...and then use a trowel to make a parsnip-shaped conical planting hole for each tube...

I find that a waist high bulb planter makes this part of the task much quicker/easier on the back

Thanks for that Swing Swang,  I'll give it a go, it will certainly save the back!

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Hood luck, I wait for your results

Thanks Wiltshire Worms, I'll post some photos of the results when I start to harvest them, it will probably be November once the tops have died down a bit. I'm keeping my fingers-crossed, as gardening can always turn up surprises!