I followed the tip on germinating parsnip seeds on wet kitchen paper in the airing cupboard, the question now is do I have to harden them off before planting?
MikeB
I would think so Mike, from cosy warm airing cupboard to cold, frosty outdoors
would be a shock to any poor plant.
I'm sure someone else could advise you better, as my parsnip growing expertise
could be written on the back of a stamp ;)
Debs
It is pretty early for parsnips at the moment I would say and they wont like to me moved outside at the moment, especially given the current temps at night.
I tend to sow mine direct in a compost drill in April. I get good germination and decent crops with no worries about transplanting.
Jerry
Hi Jerry,
I'll try your method if this lot fails.
MikeB
This thread is fascinating. Are you saying that you have problems sowing by normal methods Mike? Whilst I have had poor germination in some years, I think this has been down to poor moisture levels, so the germinating seeds struggled. To my view, sowing on paper then transplanting seems a lot of effort for a crop which has such a long period to maturity anyway. If you are growing a couple of dozen parsnips, then this is no great hardship, but I will grow perhaps 200, so the difference in effort is noticeable. I tend to sow around mid March, as the soil is warming up, and have reasonable success. The only problem I suffer is the same as everyone, that of weeds, but I throw a few radish seeds in as markers to help see the rows for hoeing.
Please don't misunderstand me though please, I am not being critical of your methods here, on your original question, I would tend to allow a period for hardening off.
Good luck anyway.
Hi Curry,
Last year I had very poor germination success with my parsnip seeds and so it seems did other members of this forum (trouble is I can't find the original thread), the consensus of opinion was to pre-germinate the seed in an airing cupboard to achieve better results. In my case I have obtained almost 100% germination and it only took 6 days. I was expecting 2 to 3 weeks and the weather to have improved in that time. So now I'm stuck with early plants. Good news is if worse comes to worse I've more than enough time to repeat. When I do plant I intend to use the other tip given of using a stake filled compost hole to plant in.
MikeB
I have been successful in growing parsnips for the past three years, though last year some of them did fork. I prepare the bed by digging out long deep holes in which I place a sawn off piece of drainpipe which I fill with compost. Inside the drainpipe I plant two parsnips seeds just in case one of them doesn't germinate and when the seedlings come up I choose the stronger looking one. It seems to work for me and I think the only reason some forked last year was because I didn't dig a deep enough hole. I usually do this in April or early May. :) busy_lizzie
Thank you for that explanation Mike, it seems to make more sense now, and at this time of year there IS time to attend to things like this. You don't say how many plants you intend to put in, I think I would be inclined to take the risk of putting them out (at least some), albeit with fleece or cloches to ease their shock?
Curry
Other advantages of the compost drills are:
1. The row is marked perfectly and it is very very easy to see the seeds/seedlings.
2. The compost, being dark in colour, traps solar heat and warms up faster than my clay soil.
I use this method for all my parsnips and carrots and never have a problem.
Jerry
Hi, I intend to grow about 80 odd. I finally found the original thread ' Yummy parsnips ' where if you look several people were having trouble with germination. The planting method I intend using was given in the same thread by tony
quote author=newtona2 link=topic=15368.msg155303#msg155303 date=1135708849]
For anyone who's had problems - like me last year - with parsnips either not growing very large, or growing like alien multi-legged tennis balls (!!), I suggest you try what I did this year:
Get a big stake or fence post
Chanfer off the corners to give you a reasonable point
Push about 12"-15" into the ground, twist a bit, then pull out
Fill hole with bagged compost mixed about 3 parts compost to 2 parts sand
Sow two seeds on the top of the compost/sand mix
Make the next hole about 6" away from the edge of the first.
Repeat.
Cover the whole lot with a very thin sprinkling of more compost and sand mix
When they germinate, remove the weakest looking seedling (if both germinate)
I did this for the first time this year - to much ridicule from one of my fellow plot holders - and also sowed another lot as normal, in the same raised bed or well sifted soil.
Results?
The parsnips sown in the dibbed holes we universally long, straight and nearly all a decent size (about 10" to 12" long, about 2" to 3" across at the top.
The others grew well, but several are small and stunted, several have multiple appendages, and none are as big as the other lot.
All were Tender & True.
I'll certainly be doing the same again this year - as will my vocal neighbour!
Tony
[/quote]
Hopefully mine will be as successful.
MikeB
I normally plant parsnips in March; last year I had nil germination, replanted in April, and got very little. I think that was down to the cold weather; I should have waited till may. I'll be watching the soil temperature this year. I wouldn't even be thinking about it this early.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on February 10, 2006, 10:39:08
I normally plant parsnips in March; last year I had nil germination, replanted in April, and got very little. I think that was down to the cold weather; I should have waited till may. I'll be watching the soil temperature this year. I wouldn't even be thinking about it this early.
That was the point in germinating them in the airing cupboard, no uncertainty.
MikeB
The compost drill method sounds excellent, I will try this with half of my drills I think, then I should be able to compare. My soil is extremely stony, so I gather I should benefit from this technique.
Thank you
Making a hole & filling it with compo works perfectly but it's way too early for parsnips now, I sowed mine in mid April last year & they're the biggest I've ever grown
I plant mine striaght in the ground in about mid april.
Try putting in a few more seeds, I always put about 5 seeds in a little ring about the size of a 20p, and space these groups about 6~7 inches. Normally only 1 or 2 will germinate in each group - but you only need one..
Before planting i go over the drill with a drag (basically a fork with the tynes bent in a right angle) i can lossen up the soil quite deep with this, and i reckon this helps to stop fanging.
am I right in thinking that like carrots they will fork if soil has been manured ? :-\
Yes, but they may fork for other reasons too, eg stones.
So long as the manures had the whole winter to rot in the soil, I would'nt worry to much. Stones are much more of a problem on my plot.
my allotment neighbour has created a WHOLE carpark from the rock that came out of his plot!!!!
mine is the same>:(
I always end up with chisel beach in the middle of my plot after making my seed beds.
Parsnips are a big no no for me now I am on a low GI diet so if anyone wants a new packet of seed `Gladiator` just pm me and I will send them on.
I can’t remember when I sowed my nips but they went straight into the ground from seed, I protected them with fleece although I can’t remember why and it was my first attempt giving me a good crop from a small patch about 2sq mtrs, this was my last haul. ;D
I shall double the amount this year and may even spread the sowing out also. ;)
(http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/6246/lastcrop4oa.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Quote from: cleo on February 10, 2006, 16:27:54
Parsnips are a big no no for me now I am on a low GI diet so if anyone wants a new packet of seed `Gladiator` just pm me and I will send them on.
Cleo,
If no-one has beat me to it I would like your gladiators - what would you like in return?
I have an abundance of flower seeds, some herbs, some veg...
Next question is what spacing do you recommend?? The Parsnip in question is tender & true. These are the spacings suggested by the seed companies.
Dobies: 6"
T&M: 8"
Kings 4"
Mr Fot' 9"
You couldn't be blamed for getting confused now could you?
MikeB
This is a good example of why you should trust in your own experience. Generally, the greater the spacing, then the more opportunity to produce larger parsnips, but the total yield may be down, because the relationship is not linear. So you choose, and hope ...
I work on about 6 inch spacing, but not pedantically.
Thanks Curry, I'm afraid I can't trust my own experience yet with parsnips as I always had up 'til now a miserable crop, hence all the questions. Carrots is the other problem crop, the rest (touch wood) I'm o.k. with.
I have enjoyed growing parsnips on the basis of 'eat one, keep one', spaced at about 4" then harvest every other one as baby veg so the rest grow on at 8 or 9". I also do this with leafy greens, but wouldn't bother with e.g. carrots (cos disturbing them would encourage fly) or e.g. salsify (wouldn't come out without disturbing their neighbours, and not very nice young).