parsnip seeds

[bjude9]

Hi All,
I am new to this!
Can some1 please tell me, if parsnip seed wont keep till next year why do the seed companys put enough in the packet for 500 plants? ??? If I sowed them all I wouldn't have enough room on my plot for anything else!
Any ideas what to do with remaining seed?  :)

[bjude9]

[grotbag]

i've used old seed before and not had any probs.

[PurpleHeather]

They do it because there is such a high failure rate with them. People need two or three goes sometimes to get a row.

You can get them to germinate the second year but the failure rate is greatly increased.

[bjude9]

Ok, thanks,
I will save it and try it next year but will also buy a new packet ... just in case!

[gardening jan]

I soaked my seeds for a few days before sowing and all have germinated

[Tee Gee]

Parsnips are notorious for poor germination (relative to some other seeds) 

As with most seeds, germination in succeeding years can reduce, meaning with parsnips and coupled  with their poor germination attributes, makes them a bit of a hit and miss choice in subsequent years.

This is not to say they wont germinate as Grotbag has found.

What I have been known to do with older seeds is something like this;

1st year sow around 10% of total

2nd Year 20- 30 %

3rd Year the remainder.

I often find that this gives me around the same number of plants each year.

ps But!! in some years the bl**dy lot germinates and I end up with a glut of plants! :-[ :-[

So perhaps the large number of seeds in a packet is to cater for this reduction in germination each year.

[Dadnlad]

We let a big one go to seed last year - just so we could see what it looked like ;D

What seed we didn't collect was scattered by the wind, and is happily germinating   -  everywhere ::)

[bjude9]

Thanks all!