[rubyrose]

Hi all i am moving allotment and have to dig up my parsnips. One of the old lotty men has told me to dig them up cut of the tops then replant them upside down and they will be fine. Has anyone ever tried this?  I know i can store them in peat or sand but wondered if this old method works.

[Yorkie]

He must have his reasons for suggesting it but I can't quite see how it would work.  Are you able to chop, blanch and freeze the parsnips?

[rubyrose]

Hi yes i will freeze some but am quite tempted to try burying a few to see if this old! method works.

[Jay The Digger]

I can see the wisdom in this.  Once the tops die down and it gets colder, the parsnips will stop growing and go into hibernation.

Putting them in a clamp of sand just stops them from drying out, so why not in the ground?

I would suggest you keep them covered with a bit of boarding to stop too much water getting to them, but they should be fine.  Im not sure that turning them upside down does a lot though.  In a clamp they are usually on their side, but I can't see that their position would make any difference.

[rubyrose]

I thought the same so will try a few and let you know probably in new year. But good idea to cover them.

[bigben]

I have never tried to do a "clamp" as I think they are called. I have blanched and frozen parsnips and still have some from last March. I think the advantage they have is that the sand you pack them in should have fewer slugs in than the earth. So not only are they a bit easier to access but should hopefully suffer less slug damage.

[8doubles]

I often bury the parsnip for storage as i tend to put plants in any gaps and they end up well scattered around the plot.
Take off any foilage that will rot and bury the snips 100mm down in a well drained piece of ground make sure you mark the spot where they are buried and use them before the ground starts to warm up or they will begin to grow a coat of tiny roots.

[SUTTY1]

I seem to remember a great uncle telling me about this many years ago.
He said they went upside down to stop any  chance of regrowth that would make the core "woody"

[Jamie Butterworth]

Ive heard of a method pretty similiar to that, apparently way back farmers would make huge holes, layer it with straw, put in all the root crops and cover with more straw and then pill soil up on and around 

[savbo]

they were doing it in last friday's episode of Land Girls