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:) Happy gardener here. My parsnips are up!

Planted three sorts, Hollow Crown, Tender and True and Gladiator. Why three, well I bought a job lot of seeds on eBay, all still in date. Its turned out to be a good thing as Hollow Crown has totally failed, Tender and True has been a 50% success and Gladiator has been 80%. I am on heavy clay, and seed beds are a disaster as I can't get a fine tilth more like fine lumps. I dig out a mini trench and use soil based potting compost to start the seeds off in. Once they are a bit bigger they can then cope with the clay.

So I am now going to over sow the failed row with Gladiator. Gladiator is an F1 variety. Has anyone else found one variety of parsnips grows better on their soil type?

Even bigger laugh is that I put some lambs lettuce in with the parsnips 'cos they are supposed to germinate quicker, not one lambs lettuce has come up.

Previous owner of the land says parsnips do grow. But the land has not been worked for about 4 years, bet they are going to be funny shapes.

My soil is heavy clay and the parsnips loved it (Tender & True), I didn't get anything like a fine tilth either. The didn't fork much either and drove right down into the subsoil.

This year I'm having germination problems -teach me to be tight and use old seed :'(

Jeremy

Thanks Jeremy. Cheered me up hope mine grow. Love roast parsnips!

It's never worth keeping old umbelliefer seed; as a family, they have seed with a very short shelf-life.

Mine was last years seed to and I have a whopping 0% germination. Is it too late to try again?

Not sure Vicks, I have never sown parsnip  ??? ::)

Think I will have a go now that I have a little more space. :D

Kepp sowing, you just end up with smaller roots, but then small can be beeeeutiful!

 :) Keeping sowing EJ. and small will do so long as I get something!

Robert mine were in date, well according to the packet, but will remember your wise words.

Hi All, :D
             I used from Dobies , primed parsnip seeds called new white skin, these have been heat treated so they are on the point of germination when you receive them. I have had 100% germination,  8) I sowed 2 seeds at each station & have had to thin one out  right along the row .  They are new this year so I have no idea of the size or quality , but it seems to me that getting the b*****s to germinate is more than half the battle.

                                          Adrian.

I can recommend avonresistor, always comes up in my mixed clayey soil.

I think keeping them moist throughout their long germination period is a point to bear in mind. If they dry out at any stage during their 2-3 week germination, they wont grow at all. Since our springs can sometimes be deceptively dry, it pays to water every few days until they show.

It might have been that although the seed packet said still in date, it could be that the conditions they were kept in were poor - some seeds that were given to me didn't germinate at all, but they had been kept in a sunny & warm place (before given to me).

I never sow my parsnips before May. Always first or second week in May: soil is warmed up, germinate faster. The soil should not be allowed to dry out and so I have a good crop. ;D
Plant as soon as possible.

Supernan   I grew Gladiator which is sowed, promptly forgot about as they were in a mixed border, the dog dug one up and bought it into the house one evening.  I went to look for more and sure enough there they were and very good they were too.  Good dog  :)

 :D LOL wardy, my dog does not need any encouragement to be naughty!! He turns the compost heap regularly.

Today is planting day for the next row. Think I might put another row in am dreaming of all those lovely parsnips for soup and roasties; yum yum!

Thanks guys for your commments and help.