Parsnip Germination

[Mike Vogel]

Yes, OH, mine too, although they were sown a couple of weeks earlier. The ones I germinated in loo-rolls in the greenhouse have true leaves and I put them out today. Most of them had their root visible at the bottom of the tube.

Am I alone in feeling that the pointed dibber is not such a suitable implement? It leaves a gap underneath the tube with no soil in it, which is bad news generally speaking. I ended up inserting a trowel, moving the soil and inserting the tube along the back of the trowel. More control all round, i reckon.

mike

[Chantal]

Having already extolled the germination rate of Palace F1 I thought I'd update.

Tender & True, only 24 germinated and of those only around a dozen actually came through.

Palace F1, all but 17 germinated and today I planted out 113 of them, gave away another 20 and chucked out a further 22 (I'd run out of toilet roll innards so had planted them in pots which didn't work).

I know what I'm buying from now on

[Mike Vogel]

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN ???!!! I feel happy looking at my 20. Mine are Turga and the ones I put into loo-rolls all germinated in the greenhouse; none on damp kitchen tissue, though I attribute that to my own failings, not the method's. I also sowed a dozen direct about a month ago, and most have just poked up their first leaves.

I hope you have a big family to help you consume the 113.

mike

[Parsons Jack]

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN ???!!! I feel happy looking at my 20. Mine are Turga and the ones I put into loo-rolls all germinated in the greenhouse; none on damp kitchen tissue, though I attribute that to my own failings, not the method's. I also sowed a dozen direct about a month ago, and most have just poked up their first leaves.

I hope you have a big family to help you consume the 113.

mike

What makes you think Chantal eats them?
It's Parsnip Wine she's after

[Chantal]

Nah, I can eat parsnips 'til they come out of my ears. We're having a roast dinner tonight and I eat loads of roast parsnips 'cos I don't much like potatoes

I told you that Palace F1 were good at germinating. I'll report again on how they grown.

Oh, I forgot, I found another pot with six more in and gave them to Seedling, so that's actually 119 planted out.

[Granny]

I tried Palace after your success, and they all came up - quite quickly too.
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Granny

[retropants]

I tried to get some palace from Wilkos, like you suggested, but they didn't have any So I've sowed 2 rows of the SoI ones direct, and await the results..........

[Colin_M]

I tried to get some palace from Wilkos, like you suggested, but they didn't have any So I've sowed 2 rows of the SoI ones direct, and await the results..........

Like you, I couldn't resist Chantal's challenge so have now ordered some Palace too.

In the meantime, I also had a pack of SoI parsnips that had refused to do anything earlier in the Spring. I've now had one final go with them, to let them show if they're up to the challenge from the new pretenders!!

[Vegman]

This is a vatiation of the old fluid sowning method but it works for me.

place about six layers of kitchen role in th ebottom of a plastic sandwich box, cover with water and drain away the excess. Place parsnip seeds in a grid pattern about 1.5cm apart and put th lid on. Place in a cupboard giving about 20 d C temp. keep looking! when th etails of the seeds have develped to about 0.5cm long they are reday for planting. dont let them get much longer or they will use up too much food reserve. If its raining or y0oucant plant for a day or too, put them in the fridge.

Make a small vee row in the veg plot and line with potting compost. place your seedlings in the row about 10cm aprt and gently cover. Job done! they willemerge in due course.
If some ofthe seedling tails arnt fully developed, leave them a bit longer to plant later on when they are ready.

The potting compost is important as it makes sure that the oot is in contact with the growing medium and not suspended in a pocket of aire as maybe happens in course soil.

Takes 10 14 days to germinate at this temp. Works for carrot and parsley too.

[retropants]

I have got zilch, nada, zip parsnips this year. None of the moist paper/airing cupboard ones germinated, and only one out of 2 3m rows germinated, and I couldn't be bothered with just one, so have planted out a couple of rows of flowers instead. Very annoyed. I have left 2 or 3 of last years parsnips to flower. I am going to use those seeds next year, in the hope I may get something.

[Parsons Jack]

I only got 7 germinated in loo roll holders, and the 2 rows I sowed over a month ago have one each in
I think I'll plant something else there instead. Never had problems before. I'll try Palace next year.

[John]

Hello PJ
Perhaps all it not lost! T&M have what they call a fast-maturing parsnip hybrid - 'Gladiator F1' - which they claim can be sown right up until June. I'm trying it for the first time this year and sowed last week.
I guess they will only get to a modest size but who needs those great big roots that you get from an early sowing.

I sow directly and use the method that Johnboy advocates for carrot growing. I have put some shading stuff over the row to prevent it drying out too quickly and stop it getting too hot at this time of year.

John

[Parsons Jack]

Hi John,

Thanks for that bit of info. I'll look into that. It would be nice to have some, however small

[old codger]

I had a look at OH's plot today and he set his parsnips straight into the ground,hardly a miss in the row .He has thinned them out ,and they are about 9 inches nigh they look a picture

[Colin_M]

As a follow on to earlier germination suggestions, I found an approach that gave results.

I added the seeds to a plastic bag of moist compost and left them for a week or so. A good number of them germinated and this was very effort-free.