Parsnips

[JR]

Hi thought I would open this thread as my parsnips have done nothing, the weeds got think in the row so the hoe did its worst. As my plot was not cultivated for years I have lots of work weeding. I was told I can still plat some in now but still think I will have the same issue.

Can I start them off in pots and then plant out? Is it too late this year? Will they germinate in the green house?

Thanks

[ina]

Parsnips are well known for being slow - or doing nothing. I sowed 6x2 in toilet rolls (they don't like transplanting, but you can plant the entire roll), and only three have come up; two after 2 months, I think... So not much luck there! I might try and get some in direct outside - if manage to dig the garden some time this week. No idea whether it's too late or not; with the unreliable weather patterns we have nowadays, I tend to just do whatever I get round to and take my chance.

[red]

the toilet roll thing worked for me but the jackdaws pulled them up for nest material!

i tried chitting them.. we have to see if it works.. but the principal is that you get them started.. in the warm.. then then plant them out 'started'

i put some kitchen towel in a tray.. scatters seeds.. kept it wet. and put it in a propagator. it still took a while but some time later some of them had sprouted little teeny sprouts... then went out to garden, make a little hole with finger.. use tweezers to pick out a good one, drop it in .. repeat...

as I said.. still on trial at the mo.

The other thing i do.. and did last year and did get some small parsnips is sow direct with a catch crop of radishes. the radish seedling help you see where the line is.. and when you start pulling radishes, you find little parsnip seedings amonst them... the radishes help hold off other plants.

it is a bit late but I would try it anyway if I were you.

[eccentric_emma]

glad im not the only one with parsnip problems. we planted some direct in the ground, then some in a bucket to compare progress (as we've never grown them before so had no clue what to look for). i thought the ones in the ground were doing really well until today the bucket ones started to come up and it looks like the "parsnips" i've been tending so lovingly at my allotment are nothing more than weeds! *hangs head in shame* you've got to laugh though.

[Jandra]

Parsnips are slow to germinate, indeed. Also the package I've purchased says to use all seeds in the same season, as the seed won't keep after the seal of the package has been broken.

So if you have old seed, that might be the cause of poor germination.

It's not too late to sow parsnips. Last year I've sown as late as early July and still got 'snips before winter.

Good luck, Jandra

[theabsinthefairy]

Parsnips seedlings are notoriously slow to germinate, last year it took nearly four weeks and I was at the point of chucking them out, when they finally did something.

I planted some in pots and transplanted - and they did quite well considering, but I think they struggled with the heavy soil. This year I have broken up the soil more, and planted direct into the garden.

I have read that a really good way of starting carrots and parsnips - neither of which like to be transplanted is to plant in guttering, then dig a trench and just push the 'tube' of soil with its little plants out along the trench - I hope you follow what I meant.

Not tried it though!

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I'm going to try the loo roll approach this the year. What is now veg patch used to be vinyard and due to my bone headed refusal to use weed killers, anything that takes four weeks to come up will be smothered by weeds. reckon I've got a couple more years of determining manual weed control before I can plant out seeds. But I'm winning.

[ina]

Just noticed that the sun has finally persuaded a few more of my parsnip seeds to germinate... That's well over 2 months now! Indoors, on an initially heated windowsill propagator!

[MINESAPINT]

Must say I do not have much trouble growing Parsnips. I generally plant early, Februaryish about 3 or 4 seeds every 6 inches then thin to leave 1 to grow on. This year I am having a major re design of the garden & did not plant until yesterday.

Now to the problem I do have with Parsnips, Carrot Fly. Obviously problematical with carrots as well. This year I am going to earth up the Carrots & Parsnips same as you do with potatoes. Apparently this way the carrot fly does not gain access to the Carrot to lay its eggs. We will see!!!

MINESAPINT

[andyt]

yes,parsnips can be right buggers to get started.Just as you think there're doing nothing, up they pop! However,as with most root crops,they are more productive in soil that was cultivated the previous season.

[Millymollymandy]

Mine grew really well for 2 years but hopeless last year. This year I have new seed and they have mostly all germinated, except for a few bare patches which was probably the rodents disturbing the soil.

So now I know to buy new seed every other year. I just sow direct in the ground and wait. I hand weed out all the seedlings which are not parsnips, because I'm pretty good at knowing what's what as I know exactly which weeds grow in my veg patch.

[Alexandra]

I have to agree with everyone - I've never managed to get parsnips to grow outside. 2 years ago, nothing grew at all. Last year I tried growing them in the greenhouse and the mice dug up the seeds.
This year, I've got 5 to germinate in the greenhouse - planted in an old chimney. I've tried sowing some outside under fleece to see if that helps - it will probably just give the mice some shelter while they eat them though!

[JR]

Yipee! I have a few germinated. Might be too late but better than never as they say!

[eccentric_emma]

congratulations! i have managed to get just the one to germinate!

[JR]

Best not celebrate too early only got three! No more since.