[Benandbill]

What's the situation with this?  I've read they can be sown Feb, Mar, Apr, May and harvested Sept - following Mar, but, if you have a lot of stones they won't grow properly.  It this right?  I love parsnips, they're one of the most delicious vegetables.

[DD.]

Try this tip:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=67037.msg767130#msg767130

but don't be tempted to sow to soon or harvest too early.

You'll get better germination in April & parnsips taste better once they've had a good frost.

[m1ckz]

they do fork easy with stoney ground,i make a bet for them alone  an sieve it through  , still fork though  lol  gl

[DD.]

Not a lot of point then!

[Benandbill]

If they fork but they're still a reasonable size, very tasty and fit on the plate, that'll do for me.  As long as they grow.

[Benandbill]

DD, I've just read that tip about the sandy compost and the crow bar.  TRhanks for that it sounds great 

[Kristen]

I grow mine in newspaper pots.  Some (20%?) fork.  I don't worry too much about them, the "fingers" are fat enough to use (the same as the bottom bit of a well-shaped Parsnip, and the "shoulders" are still broad enough to get some good "chunks".

The only disappointing bit is where the fork occurs.  Soil is trapped in the Parsnip, and its impossible to peel it out, so I wind up throwing that bit away.

[Lulu]

With regard to the crowbar and sandy compost method - is it special sand??? Is that a stupid question  I fancy giving this method a go as my clay soil hides stones.

[DD.]

Needs to be sharp - or horticultural sand. Builder's sand is too fine and you could make concrete!

[solway cropper]

Or you could grow them in containers. I get excellent crops from flower buckets placed on the soil. The tap root goes down through the drainage holes in the bottom.

The pic shows the yield from one tub.