Kitchen Garden Forum

I have just dug some parsnips - Gladiator F1 - they have done well, but some of them have a rusty coloured, crumbly patches mostly around the tops. When you cut it away the parsnip inside is clean. I've looked in the books but cannot see anything that resembles this at all. It's definitely rusty coloured and not black. Can anyone identify or give me any clues.

Hi Linda Mary

Sounds like parsnip canker to me.

Does this help http://www.spanglefish.com/braa/Documen ... Canker.pdf

There's also quite a few threads on here on the subject.

Thank you for your reply Chantal. Very useful. The book I was looking in only mentioned black canker and said nothing about this rusty coloured stuff. The link you sent ws very useful - so thank you again.

Linda Mary
Our parsnips often get small patches of this but the parsnips are still useable after peeling.