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Anyone else in the Midlands sowed parsnips yet?
I'm talking about in the ground not in loo rolls etc?

I intend to sow some tomorrow, wondered what everyone else is doing.

Here the soil is still too wet and, since a cold snap is forecast in the week, I will leave sowing mine a few weeks yet.
Sure I read some posts saying some in the Midlands have sown - depends on your soil type I expect.

Im Oxfordshire and havnt sown mine yet, though id hold off for a week or two.

I usually put my seeds in in May, but then I am in the North East of England, so could make a difference.  busy_lizzie

Hey mothy, I'm a little further south and to the right (Peterborough) and sowed direct into the soil two days ago. The soil registered 12 degrees in the raised beds, and they're covered in mesh against the cold snap. I think I usually get them going from March, but am keeping notes this year so I can be more certain next!

Have plenty of seed to repeat this month and next if it was too early ;D

Sowed mine in the Midlands last week. Since they take such a long time to germinate, how can you be sure the temperature is the limiting factor?

If it's too cold they don't come up at all, or if they do, germination is spectacularly bad. I'm waiting till the start of the holiday, then putting them in under cloches. I had so much trouble with my spring planting last year that I've bought loads.

In Essex I made my first sowing last week, however, I had to try three times last year and it was the March sowing that eventually greminated - the later ones never showed!!  I have three packs of seeds, so will probably give it a couple of weeks and do another row...or 3!!

Aha E-J, you use the successional sowing method recommended for parsnips. So one of the sowings will be a success ;) ;D ;D ;D

It's all comparative, isn't it?? Yes - I've posted it before!


http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html

I will be doing several sowings over the next few weeks as according to the packet, I've left it to late..  Variety is Hollow Crown which appears to have a shorter sowing window than my usual Gladiator, but as I'm gradually removing F1 hybrids ( and over bred flowers that don't provide nectar for wildlife), at the time, this was the only alternative available.

Although the soil is starting to warm up here in Cheshire, it still feels a bit early for most seeds, but only by a couple of weeks.

I think parsnip packets can be a bit misleading, as I'm getting the feeling that the seeds don't like cold wet soils, and tend to rot.  Many growers seem successful with later sowings, or sowing indoors at much higher temperatures. 

The forecast is poor for this week, so I'd wait a week.  I think I'll be waiting another 4 up here  :(

I sowed my last weekend and it very wet up at the lottie in West London today. After doing it other allot3all members thought I was a bit eary but if they don't come to anything then i've got another packet.

I'm about to sow mine indoors right now.

Sowed mine on the plot last week when I thought the weather was improving! But my soil temperature was 10 degrees so I'm keeping fingers crossed they will be ok.

Thank goodness everyone else is having the same problem.

We had a great germination on the windowsill, but looks like they've died afater going into the cold frame. Start again, so thanks for the comfort,
Cheers
Cliff

Thanks for all the feedback folks!!

I was suprised by the soil conditions at our plot today. Not too wet at all...so I edged my bets and sowed a row and will try another 2 rows in 2 weeks time!

I figured that parsnip seed have to be planted fresh each season, there's 300 in a packet and no way am I going to need (or have room for!) that many, so I can put up with one or two attempts.  It was April 3rd last year when I sowed my most successful snips.  Then again it was a lot warmer... then May stopped everything again.

I sowed my first 20 loo rolls on the 23rd March - 11 days ago - fill roll with compost, bury to within 1cm of top in ground (pushing compost downwards so no air gaps), water them and then sow 3-4 seeds in the top of each.  Cover lightly then hope.  The compost is dark, absorbs warmth easier, and there's unobstructed root run for the first few inches so less forking.  Worked a treat on the direct-sown ones. Those I sowed and germinated inside then planted out when they were starting to get real leaves didn't work so well as the roots got out of the rolls and so caused forking. 

I also sowed my first row of early Nantes carrots under a cloche (also in deep compost) at the same time and they are through as of today!!!

;D ;D

moonbells

Looks like it's worth waiting then.

Do the loo rolls work? I planted some in modules and -although I got a meal- they were very short and squat. I put it down to them not wanting to drill down into the clay if they could turn round and go back into the soft soil of the module.

Jeremy

Derbex - the tap root wants to drill downwards.  I found it goes down at an incredible rate - you only just start to see real leaves and the root's out the roll. Modules and rootrainers will not be nearly long enough. I suspect a kitchen roll would be better!

As soon as it hits the base of the container, it'll bend a bit, and that bit's all it needs to start forking at that point.  The shorter the module, the shorter the unforked snip. If the roll's in soil, it will continue going down till it hits a stone or air pocket.

I hope! or this year's experiment won't work either!

(Which I guess is why competition growers make a cone-shaped hole in sand, fill with compost and more sand and sow seeds in the top - it makes them long and straight)

moonbells