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Is it right that the parsnip leaves are dying back now? Should I just leave them to die back or should I cut them back.

leave them alone.

Quote from: notts_phil on October 13, 2011, 15:25:30
Is it right that the parsnip leaves are dying back now? Should I just leave them to die back or should I cut them back.

I am puzzled why yours are dying back.  Mine usually get killed by frost and not now.  They are looking fine right now.  Could the recent gales be responsible?  They certainly decimated my bean leaves here.  What are other people's parsnip leaves doing right now where you are?  Have you felt down to see what the roots are doing?

I would certainly leave them  alone, just hope nobody has been a bit too enthusiastic with weed killer - spray drift.

Well am thinking it could actually be some kind of bug. Lots of leaves have brown leaves on them. Waa a big green bunch of leaves until a week or so.  That's why I thought about cutting them back.  Have had some brilliant parsnips from the bed next to it.though:)

Funily enough mine are dying back and I thought that was a bit odd.  Some have leaf miner, and some have gone to seed.

Is leaf miner A problem for the root?

some of ours have canker but most of the leaves are ok  :)

Same problem here on the site for some - they have actually died right back - My mate reckons that they didn't like the late heat but I'm not so sure about that.

Quote from: notts_phil on October 13, 2011, 18:07:52
Is leaf miner A problem for the root?

Indirectly maybe.  Too many and the leaf can't do it's photosynthesizing and produce those lovely parsnippy carbohydrates that swell the root.  Another problem is that bugs like that tend to bring in viruses with them which can do more harm than the bug itself.

I only pulled one of the gone-to-seed roots and that looked nice enough so I'm not worried as they've pretty much done the growing for the season by now and don't really need their leaves any more.

It nothing unusual the tops will die back at some stage then you will find that they will come again with new growth.

I'm pleased I found this thread - thanks everyone.

The leaves on my parsnip looked decidedly browned off the other day. Not had time to take a closer look.
Now I know to leave them to get on with it.  :)

Some of our parsnips leaves have died off too, I dug a huge parsnip up last weekend and it was fine, very tasty in stew  ;D

Quote from: Aden Roller on October 13, 2011, 22:48:33
I'm pleased I found this thread - thanks everyone.

The leaves on my parsnip looked decidedly browned off the other day. Not had time to take a closer look.
Now I know to leave them to get on with it.  :)

But - as they went in late and are only very few as well as right in the way of clearning through... up they came!

I think another couple of years may have seen parsnips to crow about. (edible but rather small)  ::)