Best results i have had was sowing the seed in feb in the greenhouse in old toilet roll inserts, fantastic Parsnips won our local show , last year i tried peat pots total disaster just balls under the ground its back to the toilet rolls, sowing seeds later today. helps quicker germination but get them out into bed when seedlings about 1 inch high to avoid the root hitting seed tray i put mine under closhes till they get going its a good idea to have the closhes in place in the garden when you sow the seed to warm the soil up.
Oh dear, I transferred my parsnip seedlings into a large container - the tops are growing well but am I going to be dissapointed in the autumn winter??
I have posted on this before but I will mention it again. I live in Newfoundland&Labrador (Canada). We have a long cold Winter and a late Spring. Being a parsnip lover, I have tried various methods of growing them but the main difficulty here is getting fresh seed and starting them early enough. Most years I cannot get the garden started until mid-May. The answer that I have found is to grow my own seed by leaving two or three roots in the ground each year and collecting the seed when it ripens (August-September). I then clean the seed and keep it in a cool dry place until late November just before the first snow when I prepare the ground and sow the seed. When the snow finally disappears in the Spring (April but sometimes later in a bad year) the parsnip may already be up or will soon appear and grow on as normal. The best variety I have found for this is "White Gem" as my soil is not very deep and a bit rocky.
If this method works here then it should work in the UK where the climate is warmer. Perhaps it might be better to leave the sowing there until late December so that the seed do not germinate too early.
What are you doing trying a parsnip this early! Parsnips really only develop good flavour after a few hard frosts otherwise they are fairly tasteless. The starches in the parsnips begin to convert to sugars with the fall in the temperature and it is the sugars that give the wonderful flavour to roasted parsnip.
Why yours are hard and woody seems strange unless they have started to go to seed (bolt) but that normally only happens in their second year and then the roots become very hard (even woody) and inedible. I guess this might happen in a hot dry summer but I have never seen it happen to my parsnips here in St. John's (Newfoundland) where the winter is colder than the UK but the summer is similar to the UK.
Some parsnip varieties and strains are more prone to bolt than others. I grow the variety "White Gem" and never had one bolt in at least six years.
Posts
When you sow in situ put 2 or3 seeds per station to overcome poor germination. Thin to one where necessary. Light blue touch paper and.......
Parsnip seeds are probably the worst to keep over for a second year. I always throw them out.
Best results i have had was sowing the seed in feb in the greenhouse in old toilet roll inserts, fantastic Parsnips won our local show , last year i tried peat pots total disaster just balls under the ground
its back to the toilet rolls, sowing seeds later today. helps quicker germination but get them out into bed when seedlings about 1 inch high to avoid the root hitting seed tray i put mine under closhes till they get going its a good idea to have the closhes in place in the garden when you sow the seed to warm the soil up.
Oh dear, I transferred my parsnip seedlings into a large container - the tops are growing well but am I going to be dissapointed in the autumn winter??
On the subject of parsnips, I've got some old ones on my allotment. I don't want them as I don't like them and I don't know anyone who does.
But I've been reading about the burning skin problems when people get stem juice on themselves
has anyone here got any advice on the best way to lift and dispose of them safely please? Thanks
I have posted on this before but I will mention it again. I live in Newfoundland&Labrador (Canada). We have a long cold Winter and a late Spring. Being a parsnip lover, I have tried various methods of growing them but the main difficulty here is getting fresh seed and starting them early enough. Most years I cannot get the garden started until mid-May. The answer that I have found is to grow my own seed by leaving two or three roots in the ground each year and collecting the seed when it ripens (August-September). I then clean the seed and keep it in a cool dry place until late November just before the first snow
when I prepare the ground and sow the seed. When the snow finally disappears in the Spring (April but sometimes later in a bad year) the parsnip may already be up or will soon appear and grow on as normal. The best variety I have found for this is "White Gem" as my soil is not very deep and a bit rocky.
If this method works here then it should work in the UK where the climate is warmer. Perhaps it might be better to leave the sowing there until late December so that the seed do not germinate too early.
Lorraine
What are you doing trying a parsnip this early! Parsnips really only develop good flavour after a few hard frosts otherwise they are fairly tasteless. The starches in the parsnips begin to convert to sugars with the fall in the temperature and it is the sugars that give the wonderful flavour to roasted parsnip.
Why yours are hard and woody seems strange unless they have started to go to seed (bolt) but that normally only happens in their second year and then the roots become very hard (even woody) and inedible. I guess this might happen in a hot dry summer but I have never seen it happen to my parsnips here in St. John's (Newfoundland) where the winter is colder than the UK but the summer is similar to the UK.
Some parsnip varieties and strains are more prone to bolt than others. I grow the variety "White Gem" and never had one bolt in at least six years.
Does anyone know what 'balled' means in this context?