[hermon]

i couldn't awit any longer and dug up 3 parsnips for our roast last night, the first 3-4 inches looked normalish then they just turned into lots of roots the big top bit was all squashed up with lots of wrinkles i was wondering if i hadn't dug down enough as the soil is chalky or if a put too much manure in the soil. my carrots arn't that long either should i dig down more next year?

[muntjac]

dig it deper by a full slit and a half , dont tromp on it when ya sow the seed ,i use wallpaper paste the non fungal stuff and a cake pipe bag dont sow on  fresh manured ground  as that makes them fork n go all rooty .my snips are sown in 12 inch wide trench where last years potatoes sat they taters had fresh manure  distributed in the same trench .good luck for both ya carrots n snips next year mate .if ya have an old kitchen pedal bin fill it with compost n soil to a couple inches from the top n sow carrots or snips in it and set   till Christmas .check only the water n thinning make for a tasty treat n nice results

[GrannieAnnie]

As you know muntjac, we've got nice silty soil here in south lincs, and I've got an old bathtub that I'm going to put down the other side of my tunnel and plant either my snips or carrots in next year.  that'll be nice and deep for them.

[muntjac]

sure will i sen a thing on tv about growing in barrels etc to beat the fly .i grown em in tubs and old 10inch guage plastic pipe for a while .,spent days  putting marigolds in as well in the past

[GrannieAnnie]

That was on the Big Dig wasn't it?  They grew them in those big blue barrels.  Don't have big barrels, so it'll have to be the bathtub!!!

[muntjac]

thats the one lolo i really got into that prog lol

[GrannieAnnie]

Yes I thought it was good, unfortunately I missed a couple of them.  Hope it'll come back with a new series.  I learnt a few things from that prog, but not as much as I've learnt from this website!!!!

[muntjac]

yups can agree with ya there on both counts .good bunch folks  

[Oliver]

lots of manure

Just a reminder - root veg - parsnips and carrots, etc - shouldn't be planted on freshly manured soil - that is one of the reasons they grow like molars!

[muntjac]

dont sow on fresh manured ground as that makes them fork n go all rooty .

i
did say lasts years taters sat /oliver mate

where last years potatoes sat ,they taters had fresh manure distributed in the same trench .

[hermon]

what about rotted manure for parsnips/carrots?

[muntjac]

no herman . you use ground previosly manured the year before mate  

[Oliver]

dont sow on fresh manured ground as that makes them fork n go all rooty .

Oops - sorry muntjac, confusion reins here! I didn't read your post properly - She always manures her taters and then follows with carrots and/or pasnips / beets the next year - like you say.  :oops:

[muntjac]

no worries.

[philsmith1967]

try 4" drainpipes about 3ft long - readily available from builders skips and dumps.
fill with a sand/ topsoil mixture that has been sifted, you get the perfect parsnip! works great with long type carrots like St.Valery aswell.