Topic: Autumn sown Parsnips

[Eristic]

I've only got parsnip, beetroot or Zimbabwe cabbage seed. What will you take prof.?

[Amazin]

Fully grown?

 ;D

[Eristic]

Fully grown?

Is that me or the seeds?

[alipally]

Plants do seem to know when its time to grow, how they do this, I don't know.  I tried planting garlic in the spring but it has only just started to show any sign of life and second early potatoes I planted too late last year began showing signs of life at exactly the same time as the one I planted in April this year, weird - how do they know?  It is certainly worth experimenting with the climate change though, I will try the parsnips but maybe cloche them to give them a longer warm season.

As for germination, I chitted my parsnip seed this year and had great results, I obviously only sowed the seed that had sprouted - less than half of them -  meaning I had no thinning out and could space exactly where I wanted them.  I haven't harvested yet, I'm waiting for a frost to get to them but they look good.

It will be interesting to see what happens,
Ali

[Amazin]

I find that the more mature the material, the less need for the lecturing - unless particularly wilful of course...

 ;D

Curious about the Zimbabwean cabbage... any particular qualities/ differences?

[Eristic]

Curious about the Zimbabwean cabbage... any particular qualities/ differences?

Grows more like a branching kale plant than the heading cabbage we are used to. Once plants get about a foot or so high the leaves are simply plucked off as required leaving just the top few leaves. There is every probability its parentage was exported from this country as seed by the Rhodesian settlers and the African natives have taken to it as a staple crop they propagate by cuttings. My friend acquired some of these cuttings after being sneaked back home last year.

These grew well, were harvested on a weekly basis until the winter when they were abandoned until the weather warmed up. Meantime, they took the winter in their stride and ran to flower in the spring. I harvested the seed, tested it then grew a trayful which I took back to the lady and demanded that she plant them and grow them out as compensation for my trouble.  8)

[Eristic]

Just a quick progress report while the forum is quiet.



Plants are now transplanted to their growing quarters and if they survive the slugs over the next few weeks they should be fine for the winter period. What will happen in the spring though? Will they produce nice early parsnips or run straight up to seed?

The slugs seem to walk straight past them at the moment and line up to window shop at the beetroot in the bottles. ::)

[PurpleHeather]

I did try to grow some late on one year. They went dormant over winter and then did not recover in Spring. The bigger ones I tried to use had huge middle bits which are tough part and no outer bits, it came off with the peel. Fine for adding to soup perhaps.

Commercial gardeners can artificially recreate warmth and light. But I understand that a lot of the vegetables in the shops we imagine home grown are actually imported.

I have just found room to plant out some leeks which are the size of spring onions at the moment. I expect that they will bolt but you never know. The land is doing nothing else.

I would suggest that if you had some cloches and fleece, doing nothing you cover the parsnips with them. That might help to retard them going into the dormant stage, if they just keep growing you may get an edible crop in spring.

[greenhouse gertie]

Hi I sowed parsnip seed in may, they seemed to fail so i just threw the seed tray under my table in the greenhouse. looked under the table for something else yesterday, and there they were standing tall and firm, and just under the soil  i found little parsnips!! gonna plant them out on my lottie tomorrow... see what happens  :)

[manicscousers]

hiya, gertie, wecome to the site..sounds like a good plan  ;D