[Grubbypaws]

Very few off my parsnips have germinated. They are in a sunny raised bed covered with one of Harrod Horticultures mesh hoop covers.

Is it time to give up on the non germinators and plant something else?

[Benandbill]

How have you done them?  Mine went in the ground a few weeks ago and there's still no sign of them.  I dug stone free cone shaped holes and filled with a mixture of compost and sharp sand for them to grow down into.  No sign of anything yet.  Maybe just time?

[Grubbypaws]

Planted in a raised bed in good compost. Some are up and have their first leaves but not many.

[LilacSandy]

Last year none of mine germinated so this year I started them off in between two peices of damp kitchen roll, as advocated by Terry Walton, and put them in the airing cupboard and when the germinated I put them into plastic cups and planted out when they had two true leaves, they are now going great guns in the lotty.

[totalnovice]

Parsnips seem to be notorious! they can take forever to come through and the seed has to be fresh every year. give them another couple of weeks, keep them moist and good luck. If nothing thenm i'd stick some raddish in, or some lettuce, something quick and easy!

[Ropster]

I use the airing cupboard on a sheet of damp tissue method and plant them as soon as they sprout in a long Richy paper pot. once the first leaves appear I tear the bottom off the pot and plant in the ground.

the advantage to this method is you get nice evenly spaced plants, germination is much better

also my packet of seeds is on its third year and I am still getting germination, not 100% but it doesnt realy matter as you know the ones you have planted have germinated so you dont get gaps

[JayG]

Agree with Totalnovice's suggestions; I've never had them germinate outdoors in less than 3 weeks, and given the dry conditions recently and the fact that they are only a centimetre or so beneath the surface if they are not kept moist they will probably never germinate!  (I do go to great trouble to try and space them out evenly and usually get pretty much 100% germination.)

[Spana]

I'd try sowing some more outside.  I always sow parsnips really late and still haven't sown mine .  Was going to this afternoon but got side tracked.
Last year mine were sown on 19th May, they germinated quickly and i had a brilliant crop. :happy:

Try some more if you like them  

[RsT]

A grand total of one of mine germinated outside, my own fault really as didn't keep them moist enough.

Planted 40 in paper pots in the greenhouse two weeks ago to make up for the loss of outside ones and 10 germinated already (same seed), have been checking daily and keeping moist!

[shokkyy]

I didn't sow any outside because my ground is stoney. I did a bucketful, which germinated very well. And I also stuck two seeds each in a couple of dozen kitchen roll tubes, cut in half, and every single one has come up.

[jimthejimjim]

I sow lots of seeds together and just thin them out if by some miracle they all come through.
Theres plenty of seeds in a packet to over sow.

Next year I may give the damp kitchen paper a whirl to get them started 

[Grubbypaws]

What about sewing some in pots in my propagator and transplanting them when they are big enough?

[LeeR]

What about sewing some in pots in my propagator and transplanting them when they are big enough?

No need to use a propagator, if you use pots then use peat pots and keep them moist and then just plant out the whole thing as they hate root disturbance.  The most important thing us to use fresh seed, they don't keep long at all.

[SG6]

Planted mine in soil about 5 weeks ago, they took time to show, other things I had planted afterwards germinated and came through quicker.

Would give them 4 weeks before considering anything else in their place, also water them. Say this as I am in the East and haven't seen rain for weeks now.

I did plant 2 seeds per place and although I have 2 plants at places I also have some where nothing has germinated. So basically one in two has come up.

[Grubbypaws]

I am really not sure that I am going to bother with them next year. I am pressed for space and so dont like to see a whole section of a raised bed with almost nothing growing in it!