Kitchen Garden Forum

I have never had a great crop of parsnips, I know I need fresh seed last year I had Moles but low germination rate, this year I intend to sew some in the guttering method and some on kitchen paper in a warm place as advised by some forum members last year. Any tips on reliable varieties / suppliers?

Compo

Hi Compo. I generally use Tender & True. Are you sure about the guttering? I thought that was for the peas

The last couple of years Albion from Wallis Seeds have done well for me. Gladiator is another option. I tend to sow quite late, around 20th April, as I have had better results.

I used the guttering method last year for the first time. I found that when it was time to slide the stuff out onto the soil it resisted quite stubbornly and bagan to bunch up. With peas this bunching did not last lng before they slid out, but lettuces were quite a different story. This year I'll try to remember to line the guttering with newspaper first, or to divide the long guttering by placing vertical plates at small intervals, so that when I push the stuff out there is less resistance.

The problem with using this method with parsnips and carrots is that you will need to gat them into the soil quite quickly, before the root kinks as it reaches tyhe bottom of the gutter. This could well happen before there is enough rootage in the soil to hold it firm when you push it out onto the soil. I must say it wouldn't occur to me to use this method for root crops.

mike

Hi Compo,
Using guttering for Parsnips is totally wrong. Parsnips have a very long fast growing tap root and that is why loo roll inners or root trainers are used to give the extra depth and it is a race to get the top foliage mature enough to plant out without interfering in any way with the tap root.
If you have neither loo roll inners or root trainers I feel that you would be better off sowing direct.
JB.

After a few years' difficulty in getting parsnips to germinate, last year I used the method suggest on this site (was it Johnboy's tip?), that is, to germinate the seed on damp kitchen paper and then sow them in roottrainers before planting them outside. And the result: we are still eating some great parsnips from last year! The variety was Countess from D T Brown.

i have sown mine in loo roll holders with shop bought compost this year and have had a 100% germination rate

I'll get cracking, with some loo roll / cardboard tube soon, for some reason I got some tender and true free of charge from kings seeds so will try them in the greenhouse next weekend....incidentally Johnboy I did use guttering last year and for the few seeds that germinated last year they transferred from guttering to ground ok, but only when they were very small seedlings unlike carrots which transferred when they were bigger.

Compo


Compo

I am using seed from two of last years parsnips this year, which will be pre-germinated and planted on n loo roll inners, which i replanted and grew on for the seed, some of which has geminated in the ground round about.
the moles have eat out the inside of one of the parsnips which I have re-planted for next years seed.

Hi Phil,
I have my doubts that it is Moles that have eaten the inside of your Parsnip it is more likely to be Slugs than anything else.
I take it that you save one of the previous years crop and replant it in the place you alot to it. I have never thought to do this but have done so with Onions with great success. I think this to be quite a sound proposition instead of leaving one in the row for the next year seed 'cos the Bl--y things are always in the wrong place! You could do this with Carrots as well. It sounds such a simple method and for sure you know that the seeds are perfectly fresh where Parsnips are concerened.
What a super tip. Thank you Phil.
JB.

Reading what Phil says about parsnips self seeding, why is it that it's sometimes such a struggle to get the things to germinate, even to pre-germinate, when they self seed so prolifically? One guy on our site has a unused patch of his plot which is like a lawn of parsnips every year. I considered myself fortunate last year to manage a few dozen!

Last year I grew Countess F1 from Dobies and got my best crop ever, I have had success with Tender and True in the past but couldn't get them last year so had countess instead. I am going for Countess again this year to see if they are as good.

Kate (& Gerty)

Johnboy
It is definatly moles, the allotment is behind the cemetry and boarded on two sides by grass fields, also there was the run that the mole had made in the ground.
Chantal
Unfortunatly only about 1/2 doz seedlings have seeded in the place I want them, but on the ground where I do not require them there must have been 100's

Phil

I am trying to germinate my Parsnips on kitchen paper for the first time this year, I have put them in old takeaway trays on my window sill, must the paper be constantly moist as mine keeps drying out almost daily or do I have to put some sort of cover over my tray's?

Thank's Andrew.

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Although I have not tried this method, there are those that swear by it, and they say that constant moisture and some kind of lid on the container to keep it moist are essential.

Compo