Topic: pictures of parsnip seedlings

[janebb]

I'm new to this allotment thing (got my allotment in November). Hope you don't think this a stupid question

I planted parsnip seeds as instructed by Dr Hessayan - groups of 3 seeds together, 6 inches apart.  Trouble is, now I have thousands of seedlings all coming up and I don't know which are parsnips (if any) and which are weeds. 

Can anyone suggest a web site (or anywhere else) which has a picture of parsnip seedlings?

Also, the seeds were sown about 3 seeks ago. Is this too soon for parsnips to have germinated?

[johcharly]

dont know about a piccy but I planted my parsnips about 3 weeks ago and they ae just starting to come.  As regards weeds I usually leave all the row to grow until I can tell for definate then weed

[janebb]

Thank you

If I leave it a couple more weeks will it then be obvious which are parsnips?

[Roy Bham UK]

Hi janebb and welcome aboard ;D they should look something like this...

[janebb]

Roy

That's fantastic.

I don't think I have anything looking like that yet so I guess they haven't germinated yet.  I'll be out to the allotment first thing tomorrow just to double check though

[johcharly]

Janebb remember that photo is after they have formed their first true leaves. They look different until they have.

[Clayhithe]

Wish my parsnips would germinate that fast.
(wish mine would germinate)

There are no stupid questions:   if you know,  it's easy.   If you don't,  you need to ask.   You'll learn an awful lot from this forum:  I do.

[janebb]

It's a really good site

I've learnt so much in the last couple of months.

Makes me realise how much I don't know!

[Roy Bham UK]

Wish my parsnips would germinate that fast.
(wish mine would germinate)

I would just like to add that the seedling image was off the net not my growing efforts (unfortunately :'()

[Sarah-b]

Good luck janebb,
Last year I completely failed to get any parsnips and am pretty sure that was down to having a weed scenario like yours.
Don't let the weeds get you down and if all else fails, hoe it all down and re-sow. I'm not going to sow my parsnips until May as that's what my plot neighbours do - and I hope that if i copy them, I'll get the same crop of snips as them. Well that's my optimistic theory anyway!!!

Sarah.

[Clayhithe]

seedling image was off the net

What a relief!

An experiment:

I chitted parnip seeds on damp kitchen paper,  on a casserole dish,  in the airing cupboard.  Germination within 3 days every time!!

On damp kitchen paper,  in another dish,  in the cold g'house.   No germination after 2 weeks.

In compost,  in loo roll centres,  in the cold g'house:  nothing.

In the ground:  nothing

Conclusion:  They need warmth and moisture to germinate.
In future I won't even open the packet before May or June.

[Multiveg]

Remembered a posting here last year - poor aqui!

Below - these were sown in pots - arrow variety? a mini one, or were they lancer, another mini one?

[Svea]

multiveg, are they this years? and how are you transplanting them from pot to soil? i thught they didnt like their roots disturbed? or can you do it when careful?

i dont have enough toilet roll inerts :-\

[Multiveg]

These mini ones were last year's - think it said on the packet that they were suitable for containers. Didn't actually eat them in the end - can't remember what happened, but it was worth growing in the pots so that I could see what the seedlings looked like - hubby, one year, weeded my parsnip rows thinking they were docks and only one parsnip survived.

[Andy H]

I know someone who weeds the good stuff too! :-\

Heres one I grew last year...



Mine are in for this year sown in 3`s and in holes made with iron bar and filled with seived potting compost, worked last year apart from the one above!!!

[ina]

I sowed some in paper pots and some in loo roll cores, they germinated just fine but then didn't seem to do anything. Just the seed leaves and no true leaves after a couple of weeks. I meant to put them in the ground at the lottie but the bed is not prepared yet, the weather turned bad and since the seedlings stayed so small I thought I had time.
But...... all the ones in the loo rolls had grown a long root out the end, kind of curled up. They were growing alright but only down where I couldn't see it. The ones in the paper pots I can't see because the bottoms are closed but they must be the same. I guess it's no use planting these so I'll have to start over.

The chitting on damp paper towel trick sounds interesting but did anybody actually sow chitted parsnip seeds in the past and did it work well?
Do I just wait until the seeds have a little growth and then put them in the soil?
When you handle them, don't you damage the new growth?
What actually comes out of the seed first, the plant or the root?

[Debs]

Ins,

I share your concerns too.

I planted my parsnips in loo rolls (in heated g'house) and they germinated quickly.

The roots are right down to the bottom and some are starting to curl a bit

Q: Will this produce deformed parsnips?

OR.. If I carefully transplant them outside into deep holes containing

sieved compost will they recover and produce long roots?

Please help as I shall have to act quickly

Debs :-\

[Andy H]

I wonder if anyone knows the answers?
Have we only recently started experimenting in recent years and been doing it the old way too long?
Or the right way too long?

Perhaps doing it both ways to see what happens...

Reading the above, I may try one in a loo roll in GH now(mine are in plot already) and try transplanting the one at home.

Think I will try one, direct sown, in bit of down pipe filled with potting compo in GH......

[Clayhithe]

Ina,

Chitted snips transplanted to the ground:  no results yet.

The root came out first,  and grew to 6 or 7cm with the seedcase still intact.   The seed leaves are inside the seedcase,  which eventually breaks open and releases them.

I transplanted them with a pair of (eyebrow) tweezers being careful to hold only the seed cases.  The long roots had root hairs which stuck firmly to the paper towel and tore out a small hole!    After 2 weeks (the first to chit) nothing has appeared above ground yet.

[ina]

Reading Clay's post I now understand that under the soil all kinds of things have been happening before I even saw anything above. No wonder that the root came out of the bottom of the loo roll while I was waiting for things to happen above the soil hahaha.

I really have my doubts about starting them indoors. I planned on doing a few (11 of them) inside and the rest outside as soon as I have the bed prepared. Nothing lost as I still have to do plan B anyway.

Thanks Clay, very helpful.