[Mega]

Hi

What am I doing wrong ? I adore parsnips and for 3 years now they just have not germinated so this year I bought seed tape to try. The ones in the ground never germinated one germinated in my raised bed and 5 in a pot but only 3 could be classed as medium size !!
Any tips on success for next season please - would love my own parsnips on my Christmas dinner plate !!!

thanks

[Spana]

Have fresh seed and sow late
 I dont sow parsnip until May and this year it was on the 19th so late even for me.  I always mark the row with a radish seed every foot or so but at that time of the year they germinate fairly quickly, the seed doesn't like wet and cold.

I find they grow quicker and bigger sown late and are more tender than when they are in the ground for longer.

Mine sown 19th May were as far as i know 100% germination and are a good size already.  Trouble is i only did 1 row and we've eaten most of the row already.

Dont give up, try again next year

[JayG]

I agree; fresh seed and sowing when the soil is a bit warmer avoids a lot of the "no-show" problems with parsnip germination, but it can still take 3 weeks or more!

My parsnips improved greatly after I realised that despite liking light, stone free, and un-manured soil to avoid forking they don't like being starved!

A handful of general purpose fertliser helps get them off to a good start and then I use liquid tomato fertiliser as an occasional  treat to keep them going but without encouraging too much leaf growth.

[SUTTY1]

Maybe parnips are a very fussy regional/soil type plant.
For last 6yrs i've dibbed a 8inch hole with an old spade handle, filled with multi-purpose compost 3 seeds on top plus 1/2 ins covering of compost then thin when showing. Keep the weeds down at 1st  but after that the nips take over.
Roll on Christmas

[DD.]

Straight in. Pinch every 8" Thin to one.

Job done.

[azubah]

My dh pre-germinates them on tissue paper and sows them in toilet roll insides. I think they do need warmth for good germination.
He did not water them after the early stages this year and the ones he dug up today were long and straight.

[Spana]

Perhaps next year we could have a parsnip trial recording variety, date sown / first dug and result.  That sort of thing

[Kristen]

I have what looks to be (i.e. the tops at least!) the best Parsnips I have ever grown, and we had a serious drought in April, May, June and they were hardly watered at all during that time.

Like azubah I grew them on damp kitchen paper and then pricked out into newspaper pots

Sown 11-Mar-2010
Germinated 18-Mar-2010
Pricked out 18-Mar-2010
Planted out 10-Apr-2010

The tap root grows very quickly. My newspaper pots are tall (about 2.5" dia and 6" tall, but already it was growing out of the bottom of some of them). They only just had first true leaves when planted out.

I made a planting hole with bulb planter as deep as I could ram it, and backfilled with loose soil from the surface of the bed - i.e. no stones, but I wasn't completely obsessive about the quality of the soil - maybe I will be next year after seeing how they look when harvested!

[DD.]

Is it time to post my parsnip picture again? 

[Spana]

Is it time to post my parsnip picture again? 

Yeh, come on DD, show us y' parsnips

[DD.]

Well, as you asked with no prompting.............



4lb 5oz, 15" long, 16" circumference.

[Mega]

Omg would only need one of them for a family roast 
Right I take on board all your tips much appreciated here is to next season

[Spana]

Bl***y Hell 

Can see now why you have a digger ,its just to lift your parsnips ?

[DD.]

No, I keep it for the spring onions. 

[Spana]

No, I keep it for the spring onions. 

  Stupid boy