Parsnip
Parsnip is one of the best of all root vegetable. It will stay in the ground from October to the following May. Only being lifted to make room for the new season’s crops. The variety I like to use is White Gem as it doesn’t grow too large and one root is enough for the two of us.
The main problem with growing parsnip is the poor reliability of the seed. You must never try to use last years seed or the germination rate will be even more disappointing than using fresh seed. My friend who introduced me to Aquadulce had to do four sowings! before he had all the gaps in the rows filled.
In heavy soil, such as my garden, I have made conical holes in the ground using an iron bar or dibber and filled them with potting compost then after sowing half a dozen seeds per station, cover with a layer of coarse sand. The sand won’t form a hard cap like garden soil so the emerging seedling can grow unhindered. Hopefully more than one seed will germinate which will mean thinning out down to the most robust specimens.
Like other root vegetables in this class, such as carrot, salsify and scorzenera the parsnip has a tap root. Even before the true leaf stage the tap root can be several inches long. If this root is damaged in any way then the parsnip will not develop properly. The root will become forked. Growing in a seed tray then transplanting out will result in disaster. I shall be trying a new idea of mine of sowing seed into individual paper tubes so that I can transplant out without disturbing the root. I’ve rolled sheets of Radio Times around a nylon rod and glued. Each tube is 6” long and 0.5” in diameter.
Below are some tubes ready for filling
Below the tubes are ready for the trial sowing of the Gem parsnips.
Right are the tubes sown two seeds per cell and ready for a light covering of soil and watering
Left the tubes are filled with soil-less compost ready for sowing.
