Author Topic: Can I mulch parsnips?  (Read 1540 times)

Digeroo

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Can I mulch parsnips?
« on: May 15, 2011, 22:31:39 »
With the drought continuing everything is drying out again.  The rain last week is already a distant memory.

I can I mulch up my parships with recycled compost?

antipodes

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Re: Can I mulch parsnips?
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2011, 11:24:10 »
The farmer that sells me organic veg tells me to mulch everything, regardless, so I think that it would be ok to mulch your parsnips. I mulch everything with used straw from my local stables.
2012 - Snow in February, non-stop rain till July. Blight and rot are rife. Thieving voles cause strife. But first runner beans and lots of greens. Follow an English allotment in urban France: http://roos-and-camembert.blogspot.com

goodlife

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Re: Can I mulch parsnips?
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2011, 12:19:06 »
I can't see why not.. ;)..after all they are root crop and supposed to be bellow the surface..

Ben Acre

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Re: Can I mulch parsnips?
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2011, 17:33:45 »
na dont bother the longer the drought the longer the root. even if like me you may have to harvest them with a crowbar.

Ian Pearson

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Re: Can I mulch parsnips?
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2011, 08:46:06 »
I mulch parsnips with partially composted woodchip, but it's not yet the time (for me anyway). I'll wait until the plants are bigger so that I can safely apply 4 inches of material around them. Also, I'll mulch after heavy rain to keep the moisture in. Mulching dry soil is a stable door/horse bolted scenario.
Ben Acre is right tho'; parsnips' extremely deep roots will follow moisture down as the surface soil dries out so they are pretty good at resisting drought. That said, severe drought might reduce the eventual eating quality. 
« Last Edit: May 17, 2011, 08:51:15 by Ian Pearson »

 

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