Today I dug up some parsnips and the are the worst ever!! I wanted to see how they were doing. They have big ol chunky roots with a big woody core😡 What did I do wrong this year😭😭
duke
I would not add them to my list just yet. Parsnips benefit from a good frost, they are also one of the root crop that needs a long time to mature. Somehow they get sweeter and sometimes the "core" reduces. So I would say that you need to back off and leave them alone until you get some frosts.
Bill
Wise words from Bill.
I start to harvest parsnips very early, using them as baby veg. This is when they are about the thickness of a good cigar. They are tender and tasty and the thinning gives others room to get bigger. But as we get into early autumn I stop harvesting and await some cold weather before I harvest more.
Don't give up yet. They can sit undisturbed a bit longer and you can try them again later. Nothing to lose by waiting, although, of course, no one can be sure if winter will be a mild one or a cold one.