thinning parsnips

Assuming they have been growing since the spring their roots could reach a couple of feet down by now so there's no way you'll be able to just pull them out, especially from clay soil!

Best leave them; they can stand some overcrowding although it will affect the ultimate size they grow to.

Thanks, think I'll adopt the lazy approach and ignore them until November 
They were so 'ickle I didn't have the heart to pull them earlier - s'pose i should have tackled them in June - they were planted in April.

I always leave them without thinning them although I try to sow them thinly and have always had good results. You will probably get parsnips of various sizes though, but from my point of view that,s good news. Mind you I haven't lifted any of mine yet this year, hope my words of wisdom don't backfire on me. 

but then we do love parnips so all I'll have sadly is a photograph - who thought you could get attcahed to vegetables

Have you never heard of cauliflower ears?