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Parsnips

sarahwrighttsarahwrightt Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
I planted some parsnip seeds about 3 weeks ago . I’m presuming these are all weeds not the parsnips germinating 
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  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Yes, looks like weeds! Sow them in rows so it's easier to identify seedlings. Also, parsnips get huge so hopefully you didn't sow too many seeds!
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Parsnip seeds can take along time to germinate and they need a long growing season. You have to be very vigilant for the weeds otherwise they will take over before the parsnips have germinated! Did you sow them in rows and mark the rows?
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Parsnips also have a terrible germination RATE, i.e. the proportion of seeds that come to fruition.  They also need a fair depth of soil for best results which may not be the case in what looks like a raised bed?  They're an excellent crop to fill winter gaps when veg is scarce and expensive, but this may prove to be one of those attempts to put down to experience.
  • sarahwrighttsarahwrightt Posts: 3
    floralies said:
    Parsnip seeds can take along time to germinate and they need a long growing season. You have to be very vigilant for the weeds otherwise they will take over before the parsnips have germinated! Did you sow them in rows and mark the rows?
    Yes u planted them in a couple of rows . That’s why I thought they just must bee weeds . Just didn’t want to remove all the weeds if they were parsnips! :)
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Does anyone have any tips for getting parsnips to germinate?  I've never achieved a single one.  Heat?  Light?  Cover seed or not? Timing?  Candlelight, romantic music, Guinness?  Prayer, chanting?
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I used to grow lovely big parsnips, always a success, I sow the seed direct on the 1st June, so yes, they do need heat. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Also very fresh seed - parsnip seeds don’t store well. Good deep soil free of stones and lots of water, warmth to germinate but not too hot during the growing season. Fussy b*ggers, basically. Never managed them, gets too hot here. Same with celeriac.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I used a 12” piece of broom handle with a point on the end of it, push right down into the soil and wiggle it around, so you make a big cone shaped hole, then fill with soft compost,  place the seeds in,  good idea to buy pelleted if you can for a start, and cover lightly, you can see where you’ve put them because the compost is always blacker than garden soil. 
    They're usually more than 12” long but once they get to that size they can push they’re way through and it’s only the pointy bit on the end. 

    They are best dug after the frosts have got them, so don’t be in a rush to dig them up. 
    They freeze well, just chop up and blanch for a few minutes then open freeze on a tray. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Thanks everyone, I'll try all these suggestions.  I thought maybe the seedlings were too frightened to emerge and I'd have to sleep beside them.
  • sarahwrighttsarahwrightt Posts: 3
    Thank you everyone .
    I’ve removed most of the weeds and will start a fresh with your tips :)

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