[grinling]

As they can be unpredicatable I have germinated some on damp kitchen roll and planted into paper rolls then plant when bigger in the roll.

[Thrift]

I have quite a few from last year, looking all fresh and green. Remains to be seen what's underground though. Probably nice looking parsnips with a core of pure wood. 

[A Reyt Tayty]

I've just been out and had a little scrape around it. The leaves are about 6" high (held upright) and the parsnip below appears to be a new one about an inch across the shoulders.

[casper]

I have never grown parsnips before, if I direct sow would I need to cover them with a clotch. I bought one of those plastic ones from wilks. It looks quite good, just want an excuse to use it 

[DD.]

I've never found the need and putting a cloche over them will keep the moisture out.

[casper]

Okay will save it for the pumpkins then 

[rowlandwells]

Ive set some parsnip seed in paper pots in the greenhouse i did the same last year with good parsnip germination
 
the only downside was that when i transferred them in the Lottie some of the parsnips forked but had a good flavour when cooked

i think the ground is to stony so when i set the parsnip plants this year ime going to make holes with a bar and fill the hole up with a mixture of compost and sand before planting hopefully this will give the parsnip a chance to grow down in the compost stone free

[casper]

Thats an excellent idea, I dont have stones but I like that so thats what im going to do!!!

[devonbarmygardener]

I love parsnips.

They can be a * to germinate - the advice I was given by my grandads (both very succesful gardeners) was to plant 2-3 seeds at each point and then thin them out to one seedling later as they don't always all germinate.

Also I read they often like a cold snap to germinate well - seems to have worked on my plot!

Emma

[DD.]

I do it like that, as my grandfather did as well.

A pinch every 8". Go away and do something else for a few weeks, then thin them out. No effort at all.