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Advice appreciated please...

...have sowed two rows now and germination has been very poor ???
I've never had this trouble before, we usually have a glut.

Is it worth trying another lot?

Parsnip seeds are sods for germinating,especially when getting on a bit. The `lore` is to not sow them for the next season so why not try?. They may not be huge come Christmas but ,space allowing,you have nothing to lose

My next door neighbour only starts to panic if he hasn't sown his parsnips by the end of June :)

Thanks, I will go to the plot in the morning and put some more in.

Sounds about right.

Mine aren't in yet.

Maybe in the next 2 weeks....but I am a bit slow.

I sowed two rows about two weeks ago.

My trouble is my OH - he hoed the bed, which he thought was empty.  He was there when I sowed them, and I had marked the rows with sticks, but there you go.  :)

Murphy's Law says I am guaranteed to have a 100% germination rate now - all over the flipping bed.  ::)

pre-chit...then you know they have germinated even before they go in the ground!

Several years ago I wemt to a lecture by Suttons on veg. one idea they gave was to sow parsnips late in order to avoid canker.The reason behind this is that when parsnip seed germinates the fisrt root is the parsnip, all that happens from then on is that it gets bigger. Canker is a fungal problem and if early sown parsnips are damaged by soil movement caused by frost this can let canker in.I have tried this and it does make quite a difference.We always used to sow a small amount of radish seed mixed with the parsnip so that you can see the row early on.This could have helped DenBee

Quote from: flossie on May 28, 2006, 22:03:39
Advice appreciated please...

...have sowed two rows now and germination has been very poor ???
I've never had this trouble before, we usually have a glut.

Is it worth trying another lot?

Great advice.... was going to ask the same thing... my parsnips are very erratic and there are big gaps in the row.

Will mix them with radish as you suggest. Does this theory work with anything? thinking may be quick growing cut flowers - got some phlox mix?

I sow mine at the end of March in drills then cover with m/p compost this shows where they are, at the moment they are about an inch high ;D

I normally use iron bar to make hole then fill with compost and sow 3 in each. results in past few years have been massive parsnips and very few failed. This year did about 30 odd holes and sowed. Absolutely nothing!

We have sown four rows and have very little to see yet, if we pre germ them do you mean put them on damp kitchen paper until you see the root starting then drop them into the row? to cover gaps?
???

yes dad!

sowed mine the beginning of april and they are about 4 inches big.  they were pre-chitted and they are covered with fleece.

Just come back from my lottie and have just sown my parsnips this afternoon.  Done what AndyH did, though my OH made me a very long wooden dibber to make the hole, which I  then filled with compost before sowing. It is in the lap of the Gods now!  :) busy_lizzie

An article in Kitchen Garden Magazine reckons you get better results if you don't sow until May/June time.  Reckons it's only older varieties that need sowing in Feb/March time.  Mine went in beginning of the month due to the 'orrible cold & wet conditions on the plot.

Dave

I sent "Her indoors" up the plot to sow some more today using just the dibber as I needed iron bar building new fence, inbetween the short showers while I hid in the greenhouse :D

Not got my parsnips in yet, every time that I have time to sow them it as rained. Hope to get them in some time this week.

Quote from: fbgrifter on May 28, 2006, 23:22:04
pre-chit...then you know they have germinated even before they go in the ground!

Thanks everyone - didn't get mine in today as it rained again.  Will try the pre chit method over the next few days.

How do you pre chit?

I sowed two rows 6th May, can't see anything yet carrotts are just coming through.