Day of the triffids..... has arrived.

[kt.]

My first lot of parsnips. Thought they were doing so well when I felt the tops prior to pulling them up. Guess the ground wasn't broken up so good???... Unless anyone has any other suggestions....  ::) ::)

[kt.]

[cleo]

It happens. But the tops will be OK to eat albeit it a bit early in the season.

I also have a strange sense of humour-look at those shapes through the eyes of a surrealist painter-some are rather rude :)

[manicscousers]

look like mandrake roots (harry potter)
seriously, it doesn't take much, some of ours were like this..they still taste good  ;D

[Mrs Ava]

I get some like that.  Stoney ground for me, does it to my carrots also.  If you manured or used very fresh compost, that can make them fork also.  Like Cleo says, still useable, just not as much parsnip for your money, and a bugger to clean!  ;D

[Barnowl]

So, good soil makes them fork and bad soil makes them fork?

Haven't tried parsnips yet, might leave it for another year...... :)

[norfolklass]

did you make a hole for them first?
I used a wooden rolling pin to make a nice deep and fairly wide hole (wiggled the rolling pin about a bit) that I filled with multi-purpose compost, then dropped the seedling in its loo roll into the top. that way they don't hit any stones on the way down, and you can put whatever you want them to grow in into the hole.
I pulled a parsnip last weekend out of curiosity, had a bit of a firkle around the top first to see how wide it was, and it was loverly and straight â€" was very pleased for my first ever try at snips!

there's a hilarious thread on here somewhere about patented parsnip hole-makers and other such devices, well worth a read if you can find it ;D

[kt.]

Yip. I made a hole and dropped in the full toilet roll tube. ::)

[Mrs Ava]

Also root hair damage makes them fork, so maybe when the snip hit the toilet tube it made them go alien like. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Could be they were in the tubes too long, and the growing tip was damaged.

[saddad]

I'm expecting a lot of "short" Parships for exactly that reason Rob...
:-[

[cornykev]

They also look like some of my carrots KT.   ;D ;D ;D

[redimp]

did you make a hole for them first?
I used a wooden rolling pin to make a nice deep and fairly wide hole (wiggled the rolling pin about a bit) that I filled with multi-purpose compost, then dropped the seedling in its loo roll into the top. that way they don't hit any stones on the way down, and you can put whatever you want them to grow in into the hole.
I pulled a parsnip last weekend out of curiosity, had a bit of a firkle around the top first to see how wide it was, and it was loverly and straight â€" was very pleased for my first ever try at snips!

there's a hilarious thread on here somewhere about patented parsnip hole-makers and other such devices, well worth a read if you can find it ;D

How long does it take to drill and fill 200-300 holes? :-\

[miniroots]

What do you do with 200 - 300 parsnips???

[saddad]

A broken spade/fork shaft can be adapted to make a great dibber... a wooden one that is!
::)

[raymee]

I grow mine in kitchen roll centres and I have some beauties this year. Grow them until they reach broad leaf then drop them into a dibble hole deep enough and on they go.

[redimp]

What do you do with 200 - 300 parsnips???

With the failure rate we usually end up with 100-150 and then we eat them. ;D

[HO]

It works well if you have a stony soil. Sad story. In 1971.  I grew parsnips for show in 9" drain pipes of John Innes no 3. ( In Worcester) . Going on holiday a friend exhibited them , they won Ist and were taken to Worcester Cathedral for a special show event. They were stolen from the stand and I never saw them again. Presumably by another exhibitor. It has rankled ever since but now I am becoming OK with it and hopefully the person concerned will read this and get in touch with me as I want to say it doesnt matter anymore and perhaps meet up with him/her .

[Robert_Brenchley]

First again somewhere else, perhaps? What do you get for that, a kneecapping, or worse?

[HO]

At the time Robert I was unbelievably mad about it. I had cosseted and nurtured those parsnips all season. Since then I have met several other exhibitors who have had similar experiences. Contrary to your suggestion I do not wish to kneecap the offender, merely to meet them and shake on it.