Parsnips tucked in tiny spaces: my experimental results

[GrannieAnnie]

Last year was my first solid attempt at growing parsnips, and I followed your suggestions of germinating them in damp paper towels in a zip lock baggy and then seeding them in loo rolls filled with good soil.
I planted the loo rolls in a variety of places to see what works and shielded each from slugs using a plastic cup with the bottoms cut out until they became good and tough.
There was not much room left in the fenced garden that has the best soil- so they were squeezed into small spaces without worrying about the leaf spread overlapping.

One row was planted a few inches in from the side of a raised bed that held tomatoes growing about two feet away and partially shading the parsnips. It grew wonderful parsnips.

Another row was grown at ground level and were seeded smack against a board of a raised bed containing strawberries on one side. Just 3 inches on the other side of the seedling row was the garden path which is covered with woven plastic matting. It produced wonderful parsnips, also partly shaded and grown in hardly any space. Space that normally would have gone wasted. Of course it made walking down the path a little trickier!

Some were planted in raised boxes made from short lumber pieces, maybe 2 ft square and filled with great soil and these were good also except one that had some fresh manure added which produced alien beings.

Some were harvested in the early winter and some just this month and were very sweet.

My conclusion: parsnips can be grown in sub-optimal small places way under the recommended spacing on packets.

[GrannieAnnie]

[jonny211]

I've just planted a row of parsnips, allowing 2 foot either side.... thanks for the info I think I'll double up and put another row in next to them.

[caroline7758]

Interesting!

[Tulipa]

Certainly something to think about, I love parsnips and the more I can fit in the better....

I just wanted to mention though that some people can have a nasty reaction to parsnip leaves so be a little bit careful walking down a path with the leaves hanging over.  There is a thread on here from a few years back when EJ had a horrible rash from them, I think she even posted photos if anyone wants to see what it was like.  Having seen the photos I am always a little wary of the leaves but I have brushed against them and not had a reaction.

I don't want to scaremonger Grannie Annie, but I would hate someone to have the blistery rash.  I will definitely think about sowing rows say next to the fence where they are in a tight space but not quite so handy to brush past.  I only finally managed to grow two parsnips this last year and a rat ate them  :'( so I am desperate for a good crop this year.

Thank you. :)

T.

[Tee Gee]

My conclusion: parsnips can be grown in sub-optimal small places

Not only Parsnips but lots of the root veg can be grown in this way. In fact planting them among the bedding plants can create a feature i.e. As you have found Parsnips, then their is; the ferny leaves of Carrots, the purple leaves of beetroot & kohl rabi to name but a few.

[manicscousers]

ours go in at 6" either way, we pull every other one small and leave the rest to get bigger, did it last year and it worked well  ;D

[Duke Ellington]

  I only finally managed to grow two parsnips this last year and a rat ate them  :'(

Duke ;D

[GrannieAnnie]

I've just planted a row of parsnips, allowing 2 foot either side.... thanks for the info I think I'll double up and put another row in next to them.

Maybe you could experiment this year- do some the correct way and some crowded just in case it doesn't work for your soil or environment... I'd hate to lead you totally astray

                                AND
Thanks for mentioning the rash problem. I haven't had that but it sounds horrid.

[posie]

So glad you put this thread up, was wondering if I could squeeze more snips into the little space I had, I reckon I can now get 2 rows instead of 3 and might even grown some inbetween the flowers I have in garden, provided the space is deep enough (my garden is paved but I have raised walls with soil in between them - odd but it was done that way when I got here!).  How much depth do snips need?

[PurpleHeather]

It certainly does sound a great idea.

I have been putting them into toilet roll tubes for a couple of years now with great success, not chitting first.

We have one gardener on our site who refuses to grow anything in rows, he has all sorts planted all over the place in odd shaped beds surrounded by lawn. It looks attractive. The fences have the tall growing things and there is a wig wam of beans every year.

We do have fixed ideas that vegetables should be grown in neat rows in a proper vegetable bed. Intermingling might not get the results of a vegetable garden intended to 'feed the family' but it is a good way to try out things.  I put some tomato plants in with dahlias and asters in my back garden last year, blight free, and they produced small but sweet toms.

Great for kids to go outside and take a tiny fruit to munch. Alpine strawberries look good in flower beds too.

Mixing peas and sweet-peas along a chain link fence on the lottie this year to check how that works. I think it will be eating peas whilst cutting flowers as they are best eaten as picked. Snag is, some will go next door and she is worse than me about snacking on peas not that I mind, she is welcome.

Yup we need a new forum 'Integration' growing.

[shirlton]

 Mind you don't get eating the sweet pea pods lol

[GrannieAnnie]

  How much depth do snips need?

As much depth as possible.  Our soil is only good about 6 inches down, then heavy clay with some rock.
Each year I've tried to improve some areas but it is slow going. Raised beds have helped but I wish it were better.  Anyway, the "Harris Model" parsnips seem to do well in it.

[Borlotti]

So my 'willy nilly' planting is OK, a new trend in allotments.  Never quite sure what is going to come up where, makes a nice surprise sometimes.

[GrannieAnnie]

So my 'willy nilly' planting is OK, a new trend in allotments.  Never quite sure what is going to come up where, makes a nice surprise sometimes.

Yesterday I spent some time cutting up discarded white plastic Venetian blinds into plant markers because it is too easy forgetting what seeds have been poked in where. Can't tell you the number of times I've sliced into a bulb or germinating seeds I'd forgotten to plant another. Labeled flat painted stones have also helped but I ran out of them.

[aggie]

What a great idea, I'm new to this game but will certainly give this a try.( I love creamed parsnips ) and if i can get the grandchildren to dig them from my own garden it might encourage them to eat them.

[Borlotti]

GrannieAnnie, I really must label, always think I will remember, but at least I usually recognise the plants when they come up.  I am going to try parsnips in toilet rolls as didn't have much luck with them last year and do love roast parsnips.

[Tee Gee]

I grow mine in 45 gallon drums of sand which over the years has turned into a mixture of about 50% sand & Compost.

I have also grown them in 5 gallons drums as well

This is what they look like;



and this is how I start them off;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Parsnip/Parsnips%20prop/parsnips%20prop.html


http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Parsnip/Parsnip.htm

[Robert_Brenchley]

A neighbour of mine does the same thing, but he's growing for show. His snips look like mine, only he gets them out with about a yard of root on the end.

[Tulipa]

  I only finally managed to grow two parsnips this last year and a rat ate them  :'(

Duke ;D

;D ;D ;D

I'm sure my rat must have looked much more menacing than Roland, he's so cute, he can come on my allotment any day!

And it had the cheek to leave all the peel behind, could have cleaned up after himself! ::)

T.