I now have 2 trays of parsnips in loo roll centres - Hurrah! They have been in an unheated greenhouse for some time, so have survived cold nights well. As the roots won't be disturbed when I plant them out, at what stage can I do this? As yet they just have their primary leaves. I'm worried they might get too hot in the greenhouse during the day so have been putting them outside. Can I plant them out now?
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Granny
Planting out Parsnips
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Mine (in rootrainers) have been outside, without protection but in a sheltered spot in the garden, for the last week. I will plant them in the rather exposed and windy allotment over the weekend but will cover them with fleece. They will stay under fleece until autumn because they share it with the carrots (the fleece is for protection against carrot fly).
Mine were sown in kitchen roll inners, (it seemed a good idea at the time!) but I found that my dibber (broken spade handle)was too narrow in diameter for the tubes. However I inherited some galvanised pipes with concrete/cement inside them which I only ever used as weights for my fleece, and these were a better diameter.
I only ever sow around 30 - 40 parsnips so having sunk them in their holes, I have used 5lt squash bottles as individual cloches held in place with small green canes and so far so good.
I only ever sow around 30 - 40 parsnips so having sunk them in their holes, I have used 5lt squash bottles as individual cloches held in place with small green canes and so far so good.
WigBag
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Mike Vogel
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I fear I am a little late planting mine out, as I can already see little roots at the bottom of the loo rolls, so they are getting restricted. But the seedlings are only just getting their second leaves.
I'm going to plant them onto the allotment this w/e. I might use the fleece technique of Chantal's, but I don't think I've got enough fleece. so I'll use polythene and remove it each day. Then, when I have to start work again, I'll remove the polythene.
Or maybe I'll just shove them in and leave them. No really cold night is forecast, is it?
mike
I'm going to plant them onto the allotment this w/e. I might use the fleece technique of Chantal's, but I don't think I've got enough fleece. so I'll use polythene and remove it each day. Then, when I have to start work again, I'll remove the polythene.
Or maybe I'll just shove them in and leave them. No really cold night is forecast, is it?
mike
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Mike Vogel
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Well, I've done so, and it's so warm I've not bothered with protection. I dibbed a hole to the depth of the loo-roll and then stirred up the bottom of the hole. The result was that soil backfilled before I had the chance of inserting the plant. I don't think dibbers are very good for this sort of task; I ended up using a trowel, holding the plant in place and slowly backfilling; that would give any protruding roots a chance to straighten out, but would not create the danger of an air-pocket, which I feared was happening when using the pointed dibber.
Good luck and bon appetit.
mike
Good luck and bon appetit.
mike
Please support Wallace Cancer Care
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and see
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Never throw anything away.
http://www.wallacecancercare.org.uk
and see
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Never throw anything away.
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PLUMPUDDING
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I planted my seedlings out last week and they look very good, its amazing how quickly they are growing.
I've tried the method that they use for growing show specimens this year, making a very deep hole with a crow bar and filling it with sieved compost and then planting the seedling into that.
I've never tried the pre-germination before either, so it will be interesting to see how they do. Not that I'm planning on entering them for a show.
I've tried the method that they use for growing show specimens this year, making a very deep hole with a crow bar and filling it with sieved compost and then planting the seedling into that.
I've never tried the pre-germination before either, so it will be interesting to see how they do. Not that I'm planning on entering them for a show.
Ive read quite a number of threads about this subject and thought this year Id have a go myself having done a bit of technical research which I now share.
If regulations haven’t changed then the quantity of ‘live’ seed in a packet must be around 80% but once sown unless growing conditions are perfect, not all of the 80% will emerge. Parsnips being a bit fussy then are subject to poor germination levels as perfect conditions are hard to come by.
Place a few layers of kitchen roll in the base of a sandwich box and cover with water then pour away excess.
Place parsnip seeds onto the kitchen roll layer in a grid pattern at about 12mm x 12mm spacing, put on the lid and put somewhere which will give 25C ambient temperature.
Check regularly and after about ten days the seeds should start to produce a small shoot. When shoot is about 5mm long it’s at its best for planting. Not all seeds will be at the same stage though. To prevent the shoots getting too long and using up nutrients which exist inside the seed, put it in another box inside the fridge until all the seeds you need have produced shoots, or indeed if you are not ready to plant out.
Instead of planting into toilet roll tubes etc, I made a shallow furrow in the deep bed and lined it with potting compost. The seedlings which look like a tadpole were planted 15mm deep and at 150mm centres in row and am pleased to say, all have now emerged and growing nicely. The potting compost is important as any seed needs to be in contact with the soil and moisture. If the ‘crumb’ structure of the soil is too course, the seed can be held in a ‘cave and be robbed of nutrients before it can obtain more thro’ its root system.
This method also works for Parsley too!
If regulations haven’t changed then the quantity of ‘live’ seed in a packet must be around 80% but once sown unless growing conditions are perfect, not all of the 80% will emerge. Parsnips being a bit fussy then are subject to poor germination levels as perfect conditions are hard to come by.
Place a few layers of kitchen roll in the base of a sandwich box and cover with water then pour away excess.
Place parsnip seeds onto the kitchen roll layer in a grid pattern at about 12mm x 12mm spacing, put on the lid and put somewhere which will give 25C ambient temperature.
Check regularly and after about ten days the seeds should start to produce a small shoot. When shoot is about 5mm long it’s at its best for planting. Not all seeds will be at the same stage though. To prevent the shoots getting too long and using up nutrients which exist inside the seed, put it in another box inside the fridge until all the seeds you need have produced shoots, or indeed if you are not ready to plant out.
Instead of planting into toilet roll tubes etc, I made a shallow furrow in the deep bed and lined it with potting compost. The seedlings which look like a tadpole were planted 15mm deep and at 150mm centres in row and am pleased to say, all have now emerged and growing nicely. The potting compost is important as any seed needs to be in contact with the soil and moisture. If the ‘crumb’ structure of the soil is too course, the seed can be held in a ‘cave and be robbed of nutrients before it can obtain more thro’ its root system.
This method also works for Parsley too!