[Pony Girl]

In the latest edition of GYO it suggests getting a head start on your parsnips by sowing them in a polytunnel in January in cardboard loo roll holders, and planting them out complete with holder in April.

Has anyone had any success with this method and if so, can they give me some more details please. For example, do you fill the loo roll holders with compost and stand them up in a tray?

Any feedback would be most welcome.

[DD.]

Why bother?

A direct sowing in the ground in April when the ground is warmer produces large parsnips.

[theothermarg]

tried the presowing several times and got forked roots every time 
reckon straight in the ground is best. If you feel like getting a earlier start try covering the ground to warm the soil! prob will make no difference but you feel you are doing something that might
marg

[Gandan57]

The trouble with growing them in cardboard tubes, is that by the time you see the seed leaves emerging, the root is already nearly at the bottom of the tube. If the parsnip isn`t transplanted without delay the root end with become damaged leading to forking.

I grew them this way this year, and like DD says, it`s not really worth the effort, and mine have ended up with the canker.

Next year they will be grown like carrots, in a block covered with mesh. I shall be growing Lancer mini parsnips and the seed came from Dobies, just 60p a packet.

[BabbyAnn]

Has anyone had any success with this method

Sowing in January or sowing them in loo rolls?

January seems a bit early but I can see the logic - parsnips can take about 3 weeks or more to germinate, especially if the temperatures are low so you should end up with seedlings at about the same time others are just starting to sow.

I use loo rolls and stand them up in mushroom trays to start off parsnips, sowing about 3 seeds per roll and then pinching out the 2 weakest seedlings.  This way I'm sure of germination when I plant them out.  However, parsnip roots grow long fairly quickly so by the time you notice the seedling emerging, the root has already grown beyond the loo roll length.  When you do plant them out, the end of the root will be disturbed and this contributes to fanging or to the ball-shaped parsnip rather than the long root you expect.

So to start off in January and hope to plant in April will probably be too late IMO.  Perhaps a mid-late March sowing might be best, or do as others have suggested and sow direct in April.

and mine have ended up with the canker.

is this not due to low soil pH and the variety lack of resistance to canker rather than growing in loo rolls?  The only time I got canker was the first time I grew parsnips by sowing direct, but now I lime the soil to raise the pH which seems to help.

[DD.]

Don't forget that carrot fly also go for parsnips. The damage caused can let in canker and it's not evident that this is the cause of the problem, (I'm not saying this is the only cause).

For this reason, I grow them alongside my carrots, under the same piece of Enviromesh.

[lacewing]

I agree with DD. I would not even think of sowing parsnips until april. And as parsnips are said to taste better after a frost, it makes sense to sow later. If sown too early, you end up with hugh roots, which have a core that may be useful if you are building a shed.

[Pony Girl]

Thanks all, love this forum - I will wait!!  :blink:

[sunshineband]

and despite the view about the length of time parsnips take to germinate, later sowings in slightly warmer soil geminate faster and soon catch up ... no rush!

Just make sure you have nice new seed 

[Growster...]

I found that late sowing in a tube, then transplanted, formed the best roots, although a bit smaller.

As mentioned earlier, do three seeds and pinch them out to one plant, but be wary, as the tap root will be well away when you think the leaves are too tiny to consider as growing properly. Just check if the tap root is poking out at the bottom. If it is, then get 'em in asap!

As DD says though, watch out for carrot fly, and try and transplant the tubes during a dormant period if you can.

Next (this new) year, I'm going the whole hog and making special planting funnels for them. This year's were far too squonky, although they taste pretty good after an hour of cleaning up...

[azubah]

If you grow them in tubes and make holes to plant them in by banging in a spike and moving it around to make a conical hole, the roots tend to keep to the shape of the hole, and do not fork even if they have gone out of the bottom of the tube, (as long as they have not gone too far). Fill the hole with good growbag compost, or similar.

[Babstreefern]

I totally agree with DD.  Why bother with all the messing about.  Just stick the seeds in the ground in April, and leave them to get on with growing. :blink:

Last year (well this year anyway), for the first time, I grew my peas straight in the ground instead of putting the seeds in my root trainers, then planting out later.  I got a heck of a lot more and better tasting peas.   

[DD.]

Way to go, Babs! It's far easier to roll with nature isn't it?

[Growster...]

Way to go, Babs! It's far easier to roll with nature isn't it?

...and at 6.30 in the morning DD...;0)

[DD.]

This is late for me!