Rubbish parsnips

[caroline7758]

I may need to change my profile pic! I went to dig up my first parsnips today and I could have cried- they are absolute rubbish! Little balls with a load of tangled roots underneath.
I sowed them 15th April in loo rolls as I have done the last few years but they just didn't grow and I eventually planted them out 17th June when some of them still barely had the first true leaves. Think I should have chucked them out and started again. 

[caroline7758]

[Palustris]

Ours have not made long roots this year, but they are huge balls rather than small ones. Never been in favour of transplanting Parsnips to be honest. If you damage the roots even in the slightest they fail to grow properly.

[davyw1]

Sorry your meathod did not work out for you perhaps try another next year. I (as i have said before) do not believe you can be successful with transplanting parsnips or carrots.

[manicscousers]

Ours, planted when they had little tails from a piece of kitchen towel, were smaller than usual but still useful 

[Digeroo]

I sympathise it is so frustrating to wait for months and then find there is nothing there. 

[lisaparkin]

We sow the seeds straight into the ground.

Make a small hole drop 2/3 seeds in,  cover then put a white marker stick in, 1 1/2 foot apart.  It is easy to see them when they finally grow because of the marker, if they all grow at each marker, just pull a couple out to leave one plant.

Not that we are experts, but it does work for us ,

[Lottiman]

Parsnips last year were a disaster for me so I followed davyw1 plank sown method this time and they are perfect . Thanks davy

[caroline7758]

Thanks for the tips- and the sympathy! I never seem to have much luck with direct sowing of anything, but maybe I'll give it a try next year. I just heard today that my brother and family are coming to us for Christmas- I'll be gutted if there are no home-grown parsnips for them!

[Palustris]

If you have trouble getting them to germinate in the soil, then try this. Take out a drill for the seed, a little deeper and wide than normal. Fill this with seed compost and wet it, then sow the seed and cover with soil as normal. Works for us.

[kt.]

I never have success with direct sowing and had my first successful year with parsnips last year using the loo roll method.  I used to end up with loads of green foilage, wide crowns, and parsnip triffids under the surface from direct sowing, thats if they germinated at all.  I am yet to harvest this year but will let you know.

[ed dibbles]

It also depends on the condition of the soil at planting time regarding stones/wet clods etc - also soil fertility.

From the comments it looks like some are having success (or failure) with every sowing technique. This is the second year using the plank method and the couple of parsnips dug so far are wonderfully large and fat - super parsnip chips, yum

Sorry to rub it in caroline7758. Better luck next year eh?

[BarriedaleNick]

You certainly can transplant parsnips - either from modules or move them to fill in spaces but does have to propensity to go horribly wrong if there is too much root disturbance. 
I just sow direct in a line - I over sow actually and then thin out - seems to work for me.  After all the seed doesnt last well so may as well use it..

However I cannot grow Cleriac to save my life - everytime I just get the aforementioned triffid of a root ball with no flesh.

[Jayb]

You are not the only one Caroline, mine have been very slow this year but they do look to have come on a lot in the last few weeks, so hopefully many will be usable.
I direct sow, little pinch every foot or so and as long as not too many or close together I leave them all to grow. They seem to push each other apart fairly well and normally this works well for me.

[antipodes]

my root veg germination is always cr*p, but I have had some success germinating lamb's lettuce this year (always failed before):  Weed over teh bed, rake it and stamp it down firm - sprinkle over the seed, rake lightly then cover with fabric or fleece and keep watered. They have come up lovely. I think I will try this for root veg (carrots parsnip) next year as it seems good for those very small capricious seeds. I got no parsnips thos year either 

[Morris]

I have, probably, millions of keel slugs in heavy soil. So, germinating seeds direct is always a problem for me - at least, getting them to grow without being eaten.

I managed parsnips this year, and carrots on their third sowing, but failed with direct sown lambs lettuce. So, you win some, lose some.

I expect it's just an unlucky year for you, Caroline - judging from your avatar, you know how to grow a good parsnip in a way that works for you. Possibly, a bad batch of seed as they were all affected in the same way? Or something different about the loo rolls?

Maybe you would have more success with root trainers, as they can't dry out? Although I imagine there would be problems with the soil falling off the root and therefore disturbance.

Hope you have more luck next year, it's such a shame as home-grown parsnips are so delicious, and cheer you up as winter sets in.

[Digeroo]

Having had a huge number of self sown parsnip seedling, I have been experimenting with surface sowing and getting great results.  Much higher rate of germination and far quicker.   I was worried they might dry out but it does not seem to be an issue.  Sowed mine Feb and March before the rain got going.  I even got good results from an  out of date packet this way.   I thinned in July and had some small but very taste roots to eat, nice fried in butter.

[Chrispy]

I tried the loo roll method, not again, short and fat, if only my celeriac was like that I would be happy.
I will go back to my previous method, dib a hole, fill with compost and sow a few seeds.

[Palustris]

This is the parsnip I just dug out. The washing up bowl is standard size.

[caroline7758]

Now that's just rubbing it in! 

[Palustris]

No, this is rubbing it in. It cut up as easily as cutting hard butter. There was no sign of Canker and the core was as soft as the flesh.
I'll bet the rest of them are not as good though.