Allotments 4 All

....I'm serious ::)  Parsnips.  I have some good ones, nice and big - no problem there.  However, I re-sowed some later in the season and I am now wondering (the silly question bit) will the smaller ones keep growing or will they now stop growing as it is colder?  I am wondering whether I should leave the smaller ones or use them now?  (I would obviously prefer larger parsnips to small ones).   ;D
twinkletoes

I did that last year, I think I sowed the second lot in July or August. They were a decent size though not huge and were fine and tasty. :D

So maybe a second crop sown in, say, late May/early June would grow to a reasonable size  ??? ??? ??? ???

Worth thinking about.

2 crops of parsnips? Now that would really wind up the pair on the next plot, who haven't been able to grow them for toffee, for the last couple of years  :D

Quote from: Rhubarb Thrasher on November 19, 2008, 11:32:14
the pair on the next plot, who haven't been able to grow them for toffee

Have they tried growing them for roasting?  :P Perhaps they'll have more success.

hoho
there was a thing about allotments in the telegraph earlier in the year where the bloke, a new allotmenteer, said that parsnips were a mysterious vegetable, in that only old people were able to grow them. Complete nonsense, of course ~ lots of old people can't grow them either, and they're the living proof   ;D

But this has been a good year for parsnips - all that rain, I suppose.

Even mine are good for once! (I got two last year!!!!)

Quote from: Trevor_D on November 19, 2008, 12:18:42


Even mine are good for once! (I got two last year!!!!)

I also got just two this year (out of four packets of new seed) but one was like two legged, I suppose it might have been counted as three  ;D

yep - definitely call it 3 ;D ;D
twinkletoes

i would leave them in and let the frost get at them they taste sweeter  ;)

Quote from: twinkletoes on November 19, 2008, 10:54:26
....I'm serious ::)  Parsnips.  I have some good ones, nice and big - no problem there.  However, I re-sowed some later in the season and I am now wondering (the silly question bit) will the smaller ones keep growing or will they now stop growing as it is colder?  I am wondering whether I should leave the smaller ones or use them now?  (I would obviously prefer larger parsnips to small ones).   ;D
twinkletoes

The colder weather will stop all growth pretty soon, so they won't get any bigger this side of winter. They may grow bigger at the start of next year, but as they are biennials they will go to seed next july/august and will get woody. In theory you might just have some bigger roots in early spring that are not too woody (if you can leave them in the ground that long).

I shouldn't say this but I have had a good crop every year I've grown them, the first year I knew diddly squat about growing and some of the lotties would pop over to see how I was doing. When they saw the parsnips they couldn't believe it, some would say they have never had a decent crop so I told some of them to help theirselves and that has left me in good stead. I sowed mine Apr 3rd, now watch them fail next year  :-\  :( :o      ;D ;D ;D

Not a preacher, but for parsnips to get sweeter then it has to be a severe frost to reach down & you know how deep that can be.
As for germination - parsnips have, for the last few years been a problem. I can only say in my case for this year, I didn't plant until June.
Dunno why, but I am pulling serious roots.

They do perfectly well when planted late, but there is this tradition of early planting. My father used to insist that they went in first, about February if I remember right, yet he had good germination. I've been having so much trouble with tender and True the last few years  that I'm going to try something else next year.

Thank you all for your responses.  I am going to pick the larger ones first and then the later sown, hence smaller ones after that.  I agree RB - I found Tender & True disappointing last year and gave them a miss this year.
twinkletoes

Planted ours in june and have a fantastic crop this year. I'd leave the small ones in the ground till just before xmas then pull some for roasting, they have a sweeter flavour and roast really well