[Jabberwock]

Hi folks,

this year I went to great lengths to ensure that I had a decent crop of parsnips, I prepared a stone free, deep bed and sowed them in paper pots and had 100% germination, these were duly planted out and I'm glad to say that they look amazingly healthy ...............in fact they are growing like triffids!!  This brings me to my problem, I am growing them under a blue water pipe and debris netting construction because I live so close to the sea and even on the sunniest days here we can still have gale force winds so I thought this might give them a bit of extra protection, the thing is the foiliage is now well over 3 foot and pressing against the netting.
My dilemma is should I remove the netting and let them take there chances with the wind or leave them to grow "bunched up" under the net?
I don't have any spare water pipe left or I would have made them a taller home and now I'm worried that by having the leaves pressed up to the existing construction that I may be restricting them

[gillie]

Can you construct some kind of a windbreak and leave the top open?

However I really would not worry too much whether they are left to grow cramped or left in the open.

Be warned that these parsnips just might turn out to be all leaf and little root.

Gillie

[8doubles]

Can you put the hoops back in on the side the gales come from and drape the net over to form a windbreak ?

[DD.]

As Gillie commented on, the tops seem errr... over the top!

May I ask what you used in the prepared bed?

[Jabberwock]

Hi and thank you both for your replies.
My hubby thinks I'm totally bonkers to be worrying about my parsnips, he's a chuck them in and leave them to it type of gardener but I tend to treat all my plants as babies  !!
Believe me Gillie the thought that they are producing so much leaf and not a lot of root has cossed my mind 
I am just off out to the sheds to see if there is anything I can use to rig up around the perimeter of the bed and then as you suggested leave the top open.
Unfortunately it will have to be all around the bed as the wind frequently gusts so it seems to come from all directions all at once
I'll tell you after all the sleepless nights these parsnips have caused me they better be enormous!!

[8doubles]

If the parsnips are Gladiator there`s a good chance of some monsters.
( cue the DD photo )

[DD.]

That was all bottom & no top!

You don't really want to see it agian, do you?

[Jabberwock]

Hi DD.

It was a mixture of multi purpose compost, most of it tipped out from flower pots (so had already been used) 2 bags of leaf mould and then some topsoil from an area of garden I dug up to build a pond didn't add any manure or anything.
I know I'm sad but I'm really starting to worry now....................................are parsnip tops edible by any chance? 

[Jabberwock]

In actual fact my Parsnips are Gladiator and yes please I'd love to see the photo

[DD.]

As you asked nicely. From a previous post.....

Half way down the row now & came across this. (The parsnip, not the daughter).

4lb 5 oz, 16" long 17" circumference.

Should do a few Sunday Dinners!

The mix doesn't sound too rich, so you may have some good 'snips there.

[Jabberwock]

Wow!!
Now that is an amazing parsnip :blink:
If I get one even a quarter of that I will be well chuffed.
Thanks for your help folks, I'll try to stop worrying now and let nature take it's course!

[Swing Swang]

It's DD pimping her parsnip pic again 

[DD.]

That's me daughter!

(The one on the right).

[Goosegirl]

I too live by the coast and in a flat and very windy site. I do have a beech hedge on the eastern side plus a GH and shed on the west but the winds can find their way in whenever. My snips have never been netted or protected in any way and they've done fine so far.

[JayG]

I usually manage to grow quite decent parnsips and they are about the last plant I would think of protecting from the wind but then again mine never grow 3' high; maybe they're not that great after all (chunter, chunter, sulk!  )