I just thought I'd tell you about how I managed to germinate some parsnips this year, as last year I only managed to get two to grow after three sowings.
I put small circles of potting compost on the soil, sowed the seeds and then put a plastic bottle ring/cloche over the top. I didn't have enough bottles to complete a row so just did the circles of compost for the rest. The germination in the cloches was almost 100%, so I was very pleased with them. Obviously this isn't practical for huge numbers, but if you only want a few it's good.
So ... on Sunday I thought I would take the bottle cloches off the ones which had germinated and put them on the ones which hadn't germinated and resow them.
Yesterday I went to look at my cosseted parsnips and the ones which had germinated and had the bottles removed had nearly all been eaten by slugs. :'( :'(
Will I ever get parsnips to grow???
Sorry I've posted this twice but the site went down and then I thought it hadn't posted, so I posted it again and forgot where I'd put it.
The site seems to be having trouble again as it seems very slow.
i know i'm being impatient (14 days) but no sign of my parsnips. i've only got "tub space" left, would be ideal for four circles/cloches.
thanks for the tip vee.
I have problems with slugs eating parsnip seeds too Mrs KP.
I now sow about 10 - 15 parsnip seed per station and gradually thin out the ones which don't get eaten by slugs or germinate. I don't thin them all out at once because its sods law that as soon as you thin them down to a single seedling per station, something else will come along and eat them.
I have also been working on the idea of improving plastic collars as barriers which you may find useful, have a look at the picture on page 2 of the 'securing black plastic' thread for more information.
All the best,
I had a good result with them this year, made holes with a bulb planter and filled it with sand/compost mixture then put half a dozen seeds per station, all stations had a t least one, most needed thinning, they are romping away now, no slug problems, them seem to be after the strawberries.
The carrots doen the same didn't do so well, i think they didn't like the cold we had, the earlies and the mains came up the same time despite being planted 4 weeks apart.
I grew mine in paper pots in the greenhouse then planted the pots in their final position.
Mike so jealous. I sowed mine in situ using the big dibber method and putting compost in the hole. It is ten days now but no signs, but I probably still have time for them to come up. Hope so!! busy_lizzie
I must be luck as I sow mine direct, I did this last year also and had good germination and a great crop. ;D
(http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/3301/nips1xt.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
BL, I did the same as you and have only about half a dozen lonely seedlings. They have been in about 18 days now. I am wondering whether to go and buy another packet in case the others weren't fresh enough although they were a new packet this Spring. I shall give it another few days and see if any more come up. Just wanted you to know you are not alone!
T.
Even the seeds sown in paper pots in the greenhouse took nearly three weeks to come through, just keep yours watered they may yet appear.
I sowed two rows, which OH, the following week, forgot were there, and hoed the bed. ::)
The law of s*d has dictated that these parsnip seeds are now having no problems germinating - in a lovely scatter pattern, in among the caulis and broccoli which I have since planted in that bed after OH's little bit of preparation. :)