Kitchen Garden Forum

I ask because a Slovakian friend/colleague asked me about parsley. Why did we only eat the leaves and not the roots?
So I explained and he went away and looked things up. So did I.
And I have decided to give it a go next year as he has asked me to do so.

The RHS book has some detail but any personal experience would be welcomed.
I have had some success with parsnips but less with carrots as the soil here in the Chilterns is stoney.

BTW: can parsnips be started off in rootrainers?

Good morning Stephen,
I used to grow Hamburg Parsley every year for many years because they are very flavoursome but I haven't grown them now for a few years. They are certainly well worth growing and apart from the root you can train a few to give you young fresh leaves of flat parsley. When I say train I mean cutting back adult foliage on a plant with a good root formation (like a small Parsnip) and the plant obligingly sends you up some very tender young leaves. They can grow to quite a size and I have always treated them as you would Parsnips.
Stephen, do give them I trial as I am sure that you will find them to your liking.
They can be boiled, steamed and par-cooked then roasted. When they are quite young you can make them into chips which are really delicious.
JB.
PS Thanks for the reminder perhaps I will follow my own advice and grow some this coming year!

Thanks JB.
Did you follow the traditional route and plants the seeds directly in their final position?

This is one of those vegetables i have read about many times, but never actually got round to growing.

Maybe next year!

I've been tempted to try them too, but wondered if they would be worthwhile. Thanks Johnboy for you comments - I too may try them.

I've grown it but never eaten the roots because parsley upsets my stomach. Parsnips, too. Others have reported of them to be quite delicious, but for me they are noxious. It's grown just like other sorts of parsley, which for some people can be troublesome. The problem seems to be with germination, which is always slow and erratic. I find the best results are from an early autumn sowing, in mid September through to early October. The seedlings make little progress until the following late winter, when they romp away with lengthening days. No cloche protection is necessary. Otherwise, sow in late winter as soon as the soil is workable. You may have to wait for up to a month for seedlings to appear. Autumn or very early sowings seem to succeed far better than sowings in late spring — better germination and stronger plants. Rather like sweet peas in that respect.

This is something that's been on my to grow list but never gotr round to it.

Thanks for raising it Stephen and for all the good advice from other members. This is now A N Other thing i've got to work into the plans for next year!

Like others, I read about it but passed it by, thinking that if it was really great, it would be more widely grown.
Next year I'll find out I hope.

Hi Stephen,
The answer to you question is that I sowed direct and I cannot ever remember having had any germination problems. Over sowing will give you a plentiful supply of Parsley for culinary purposes when you come to thin them out.
JB.

Thanks JB

Stephen wrote:BTW: can parsnips be started off in rootrainers?

Hi Stephen.

I would say not. However, what I do (and others may not agree) is to use toilet roll cores. The method is as follows, I fill the cores to about half an inch from the top, then sow 3 seed, then top up with compost. I then give them a little water, and set them out in my unheated greenhouse. After two or three weeks they will have germinated. This is the important part, once they have germinated they MUST be planted out immediately. If left even only for a few days, the tap root will be at the bottom, and there's every likelihood that the root will be broken once moved. After a few weeks, it's just a case of discarding the surplus seedlings, and just leaving the strongest looking one. I've only been gardening 'proper' for three years, but this method always gives me good results.

I dare say one could use the same method for Hamburg Parsley. I've never tried it myself, can anyone say what they taste like?

Cheers...Freddy.

Freddy
Thanks for that. I'll start saving loo roll centres then!

I can not yet comment on the taste but I'll post at the end of next year!

Hi Stephen,
I have found that Hamburg Parsley is best grown from a direct sowing and thinned out where necessary. I would suggest gaps of 4" twixt plants and 12" twixt rows but one row should really suffice. My rows are 30ft.
The thinned plants produce masses of Flat Leafed Parsley for freezing or drying.
Save your loo rolls for Parsnip Production.
JB.

Thanks.
Even if I sew the Hamburg Parsley directly, I doubt I will have enough loo rolls for my parsnip needs alone