[shoozie]

Needing a bit a guidance. Junior has been growing parsnips for Christmas.  They are tiddlers, but we're proud nevertheless.

Winter seems to have come eventually here, and I can't get a forecast beyond Thursday - but it looks as if the temperature will be hovering around 6 to minus 2 for the next five days.

There's half a dozen or so in tattie planters, so I can protect them.  But the ones in the ground - saturated clay ...

Does a layer of straw work at these temperatures?  or would you advise lifting and storing, lifting, blanch and freeze?  We don't have a big crop - so, could have one very disapointed junior if we can't get them out the ground come Christmas !

[plum crumble]

parsnips don't need protection - in fact they are better for being frosted, as it intensifies the sweetness. Just leave them in the ground and pull when ready. You can pull and freeze, but no need really

[shoozie]

Thanks Plum, I'm probably worrying unnecessarily as a result of the last 2 years when our ground was frozen solid for weeks and wondered if straw was an effective insulator - Will think positively 

[arugula]

our ground was frozen solid for weeks ...

... and we were digging the ground in slices where we knew the parsnips were. As Plum says, they should be fine.

[shoozie]

Need to get a saw then 

[snowdrops]

I agree with the other posts but for the last 2 years I was unable to get my parsnips up so had to resort to bought ones for Christmas Day & vowed never again. So this year I have already lifted some & frozen them after they had had a frost. Because I have swapped plots & of course the parsnips were on the plot I gave up I have dug them all & heeled them in on the other plot with a view to being able to get at them on Christmas Eve.
I would hedge your bets

[bazh]

Seeing as you wouldn't want to disappoint junior just keep an eye on the weather in the 2 weeks before Christmas, if it looks like hard frosts just cover with straw with some fleece over to stop it blowing away. Last thing you want is to not be able to get an the fruits of juniors labours because of frozen heavy clay ground. Probably wouldn't be a problem unless we have some sustained sub zero temperatures though. And as said above some frosts will improve the flavour.

[shoozie]

Thanks very much for all your replies.  I'll leave them where they are for now,  see what the forecast is after this week and take it from there.  thanks 

[Poolcue]

I am looking forward to trying to dig mine out on Christmas Eve.I have had some already but they aren't as tasty without a frost first.

[hogwarden]

 I use a post-hole digger at the start of the row and make a deep one then work up the row with a trowel at lowish level to get the sweeties out with minimal damage-except to my knees

[BabbyAnn]

Last year I took advantage of a mild spell between the 2 arctic blasts and dug a few up to be on the safe side.  My friend was chiselling his out on Christmas eve and had to give up.

[Aidy]

In the unlikely event of us getting snow/ ice over Christmas (like least year  ) I did pop a cover (bit of weed fabric) over a few for Christmas so I could at least dig them up.

[Goosegirl]

I have heard of pouring boiling water around the roots so you can dig them up - not sure if it freezes on contact - depends on how hard a forst it is. They so need the frost for their sweetness.

[Babstreefern]

Two years ago, I had a foot of snow over my allotment.  Thankfully, I knew exactly where I had planted them, so was ok.

Last year the same thing, but less snow.  Hopefully, there won't be any, but have not had any real frost to "sweeten" them

Anyway, if its a hard frost you have, and they are really frozen try to dig them up a few days before you need to use them, and let them thaw out in your garden shed

[sarajane]

I always freeze mine a week or two before Christmas as have had major trouble getting them out of the ground in the past and they are always delish.

Last Christmas eve morning I went to pick the sprouts and they just dropped off the stalk as they were frozen solid and fell into 12 inches of snow.  I ended up running to the shops to buy some as I couldn't find enough of them in the snow