Topic: Keeping Carrots and Parsnips???

[Chantenay]

I want to keep the maincrop carrots and parsnips as long as poss, but not in the freezer. They do seem to be full grown, but still have loads of fresh foliage. Do they have to be left to die down like potatoes so the skin sets?
If I leave them in the ground, when can I pour coffee solution on to keep slugs away?? Should I wait until vegetation dies down or can I do it when I think they are big enough? How long will they keep in the ground?
If I try to store some, must I buy sand or will dry soil do? Any idea which method will keep them longest and the tastiest?
I need lots of detail and tips please as this is my first time, the crop is gorgeous and I do not want to waste them. Thank you.

[sandersj89]

Have a look at these sites, the HDRA one is particularly good.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1101/storing_root_veg.asp

http://www.hdra.org.uk/factsheets/gg16.htm

On my heavy soil I lift carrots before the ground gets too water logged but leave parsnips a little long. Both will store for a few weeks in paper sacks but best packed into boxes for longer storage.

As to when to start using coffee water to deter slugs, you can start anytime now IMHO.

Jerry

[Hugh_Jones]

A lot depends on your soil, Chantenay. If you have very heavy, sticky soil, they are best lifted and stored - for preference I would box them in peat - in temperature conditions suitable for potatoes.

My soil is mainly light to medium, and I leave both Carrots and Parsnips in the ground until needed. A covering of horticultural mesh over the carrots will protect against surface predators, and will also make them much easier to lift when the ground is frozen or snowbound.

If you feel the carrots are mature then you can certainly use coffee on them straight away, although I usually wait until early September.  However, I don`t advocate coffee for parsnips for 2 reasons:-

1. I`ve never yet had parsnips attacked by slugs - any damage mine get is usually from carrot fly or millipedes,

2. Parsnips will continue to grow until November; coffee might well inhibit this.

[Mrs Ava]

Following on from this thread, when are parsnips ready?  I thought they were better once the frost had been on them.  Is this true as mine are looking huge and I would certainly like to give them a try.

[Hugh_Jones]

You can start using them whenever you like, they will still taste fine, but there is no doubt whatever that they taste even better after the frost has been on them - I`ve no doubt John can tell us precisely why, but I`m pretty sure that it`s all to do with the frost causing the plant to convert starch to sugars.

[Chantenay]

Thanks for the level of detail and the web-links were really useful. I would have cheerfully poured coffee over the parsnips thinking I was doing good. My parsnips look huge too EJ - I think they just need a little testing out round the roast this weekend, don't you? Just in the interests of scientific comparison of course. ;)

[Mrs Ava]

Most definately Chantenay.  Hope they aren't all shoulders and no legs tho.  :o ;D