[totalnovice]

Again my parsnips have failed to come to anything (planted fresch seed on 25th March) out of 5 rows i have just two parsnip seedlings.

Am i too late to try another couple of rows, now the soil is warmer etc, i know they like a long season but it is still only the end of april - am i likely to be wasting ground if i try? Anyone any advice/experieince of sowing parsnips this late?

[mumofstig]

I'd try again......did you water the planting line before sowing, I would in this dry weather.
Good luck, and I bet your first line comes up after you've sowed the 2nd lot
Always happens to me


Edit for bad spooling 

[Paul Plots]

Mumofstig is probably right....they are so slow.

I'm putting in some more into paper pots - the first 4 pots full did wonderfully. If I'd had more time I may have been looking at 40 right now. 

[Charl89]

mine have not bothered showing either. i am giving up on them. lol

[Goosegirl]

I haven't sown mine yet but will do tomorrow. I find leaving then late gives a better germination and they don't mature too early. I always use fresh seed each year and sow direct into watered rows then cover with dry soil and I don't seem to have a problem.

[hamstergbert]

I gave up on Wednesday.

They showed this morning!

[sion01]

I planted some between rows of rhubarb last year as it was the first year for the rhubarb and nothing showed.This year they are sprouting like mad with some about 6inch high by now.The rhubarb is really getting gowing this year and starting to close over them but i'll leave the neps in to see what happens

[totalnovice]

thanks for the advice, i'll sow another couple of rows tomorrow afternoon in my 'me time' at the allotment. I'll be happy if i get just a few come through, the three we had last year were so delicious! 

[pink aubergine]

An allotment neighbour germinated his in the kitchen on damp blotting paper with upturned bowl over them to keep out light. Germinated in a week! Then potted on into plastic coffee cups. Looked great.

[bonfire]

Funny that you should use a squatting cat as your avatar Goosegirl. My row of pasnips came up perfectly for two thirds of its length and the very sparse germination for the other third could be conclusively traced as I thinned them out today (I leave you to guess how) to one or more cats.

[Growster...]

I haven't sown mine yet but will do tomorrow. I find leaving then late gives a better germination and they don't mature too early. I always use fresh seed each year and sow direct into watered rows then cover with dry soil and I don't seem to have a problem.

Thanks for this Goosers!

I have a spare row, and was wondering what to do with 20' of space!

[totalnovice]

I'm putting in some more into paper pots - the first 4 pots full did wonderfully. If I'd had more time I may have been looking at 40 right now. 

I never thought about doing them in paper pots, any clue how soon after germination would i need to plant out given root growth? would the root push through the paper pot or would it constrict growth until the paper has degraded?
Might have to give that a try.
I've also planted out another two rows this afternoon, soaked the drill and gave a thorough watering after back filling too. Finger crossed on these rows!
I might also try the damp kitchen towel trick next year if this lot don't come to anything - I really am determined to grow parsnips!!! 

[mumofstig]

my method here
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=76020.msg861037#msg861037

[Paul Plots]

my method here
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=76020.msg861037#msg861037

That's about what I did to get the first trial of 4. They sat in a very warm greenhouse and took about two weeks to appear. (Why didn't I do more?  )

Today, as I have a whole day off, I put 40 in paper-pots at home. My greenhouse is not quite so warm as my fathers but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It certainly was a lot easier than watching for them on the plot and then fiddling about weeding them if they came through at all.

[Jome]

Have you got fresh seed? I always buy a new packet and works for me