Pre-germinating Parsnips

[daisymay]

Hi,

I read on here a while back that people pre-germinate snips by putting them on damp kitchen paper.... which I have duly done.

So what now? How long will they take to sprout and what is the next step?

Thanks
DMx

[daisymay]

[kt.]

After my lack of joy sowing in toilet roll tubes I am gonna sow directly in the ground straight from the packet. (Avon Resister and Tender & True)

[Jeannine]

Hey I did this, a few weeks back, they took me by surprise and germinated quite fast, we had no option but to put them in the raised bed.I expected them all to croak but today they are up about an inch. No fleece as I didn't have any, but I did put a green mesh over the bed to stop my neighbours Jack Russel from scratching them up. They were planted in that awful storm we had, pouring with rain, freezing cold, we just  chucked them  in any which way but they made it.

I would do the paper thing again but not so early.

XX Jeannine

[manicscousers]

I  put the seed on damp kitchen paper, in a plastic bag, in a grape container from the supermarket..on the windowsill over the radiator..it took between a week and 3 weeks for them all to germinate, I'd do it again   ;D

[allaboutliverpool]

Parsnips take 3 to 4 weeks to germinate and a good ploy is to plant a seed every 2 inches in a row and in between each seed plant a radish seed. If you are not confident about the germination of the parsnip then plant 3 in a small triangle about 1/4 inch apart. The radish will germinate and be ready for cropping in 4 weeks and after only a week will mark out the line to enable the removal of young weed plants.
The parsnips are best thinned to one every two inches and when a little larger to four inches apart.
You can try sowing into individual pots but as you have now reached warmer weather, any slight drying out of the soil can lead to poor germination.

It is said that parsnip seeds do not keep and they should be grown from a new packet each year. I intend to test that theory this year!

Parsnips will be covered shortly in my new website

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

[Jeannine]

Just for the record, I put mine on several thicknesses of kitchen roll in  large tupperware container,covered them with a layer,moistened the lot, put the lid on and put it in the airing cupboard.

[norfolklass]

I've never grown parsnips before so I thought I'd try this method too.

I put the seeds on one layer of kitchen roll in the bottom of one of those cheap plastic propagators, misted it with warm water, put the lid on and bunged it in the airing cupboard (hot water tank long gone, but there is a small radiator in there).

I did this last Tuesday night and have already got about a dozen seeds that have the little white root starting to show ;D

[saddad]

Ours are in toilet rolls and have just shown after about three weeks..
;D

[paddy]

Hi all

I have used the toilet roll method for the first time this year and i have had good germination.

My confidence in parsnips is restored.

Thanks to all who offered me help

Paddy

[daisymay]

Thanks for your help. I will cover them and put them on top of the fish tank I think as we do not have an airing cupboard, it worked with our chillis where all else failed.

So - once they have sprouted, I just plant as normal I take it?

[manicscousers]

someone on here said, plant up as soon as they have a white 'tail', be careful not to break it off, I used a pair of tweezers  ;D

[Tee Gee]

someone on here said, plant up as soon as they have a white 'tail', be careful not to break it off, I used a pair of tweezers

Forget the tweezers sow them paper and all  !!

Obviously if you have scattered the seeds this can present a problem but if you have sown them in rows on the paper just cut the paper into strips and sow germinated seed and paper in shallow drill.

Saves a lot of messing about!!

[manicscousers]

mine were scattered  :)

[daisymay]

mine are scattered all over the paper too - could organise them into rows I guess, husband is away tonight so will keep me out of trouble for a while!!  ;D

[Tee Gee]

OK pull the paper apart in bits and plant these!