[celtbhoy]

i put in a bed of parsnips about 2 months ago,only got about 10 to germinate! is this normal for pars??

[corndolly]

They are very slow to germinate and just when you are thinking of scrapping them , you'll notice that they are starting to come up, usually the weeds around them are well up so its often difficult to spot them.

This year seems particularly slow cos of hot dry weather in April, if they dont germinate by June, they will still make a reasonable size by the time you want to eat them in Feb .

I'm still waiting for the majority to show, have one or two in rows ,sowed in late feb.Be Patient is all I can say.

[djbnat]

Read somewhere that due to the quite long germination time for Parsnips they can be sown with Radish to mark the rows.  The Radish will germinate quicker and identify where to avoid with the hoe.  By the time the Parsnips come through the Radish can be harvested.  Anyone tried this?
Regards
DJB

[WG.]

Read somewhere that due to the quite long germination time for Parsnips they can be sown with Radish to mark the rows.  The Radish will germinate quicker and identify where to avoid with the hoe.  By the time the Parsnips come through the Radish can be harvested.  Anyone tried this?
Regards
DJB

Yes, this is a very useful technique

[Sadgit]

I've started mine in the greenhouse and will stick them out in a week or 2.. not sure if this is a good way of doing it.. but too late now

[ruffmesiter_69]

ours have been really bad have about 30 if that this year! last year was fine, have re-sown 3 times now. one last attempt with this wet weather now i feel

[flowerlady]

And don't forget ... old seed can be very dodgy ... best to use fresh seeds every year  

Although I haven't bothered with snips this year  :shock:  (well there's only me who likes them !!)... last year I germinated mine on damp ketchen paper on a small food tray, in a poly bag, in the airing cupboard  

Then when I was sure they were germinating I placed them into cells to grow on ... best harvest ever !!  

[GrannieAnnie]

I tried planting last year's snip seed, nothing germinated, so bought a new cheap Wilko packet, sowed early April and they are just coming up.

Also I have read they don't like transplanting, so I sow them insitu, but some people say beetroot don't like transplanting, but I've put in 4 rows of seedlings from my tray and they are doing well.  Only 1 died!

[flowerlady]

I have transplanted both    

...  the snips I put into loo rools to guarantee a straingt stone free start  

[corndolly]

I have sown in loo rolls, not one germinated, put seed in situ , weeded today about 30 germinated in 20 rows.

This year seems like a baddy for parsnips, when is the latest for trying again now we have had some !! rain !!

[flowerlady]

That was my point   ... germinate in the airing cupboard and then when growing away carefully put them into the loo rolls.  

... and when you come to plant them ... be sure to cover up the loo roll well otherwise it dries out and hinders the plant from getting on  

[hermon]

warning to anyone growing these in pots/trays do not let them reach the bottom of the pot as once sown in the ground they don't straighten out and you will have wiggly useless parsnips!

[Anton]

It takes about five weeks for parsnips to come up. My have been up and thinned out for two weeks or so.  I usually plant three or four seeds at each station and then fill in the line with peat so you can see it clearly. Last year it rained and rained and lots of weeds came up but no parsnips and just as I was going to start all over again I noticed the groups of seedlings growing at regular intervals so I could sort out the plants from the weeds.

Anton

[jennyb]

have i got begginers luck?  i've sewn mine and have seem to have had no problems with germination....  i have 3 nice rows of them...

[bayleaf]

oh dear, I used seed from last year - no wonder I've not seen any yet. Here's hoping that some will germinate.