How to grow them
Always use fresh seed: it does not keep. Sow three seeds every 15cm, 2cm deep, and thin to the strongest. Germination is slow, up to four weeks, so do not sow into cold, wet ground in February just because the packet says so.
Roots
Parsnips
Sow in spring, forget about them, and dig them on Christmas morning.
- Buy as
- Seed
- Space
- 15cm between plants, 30cm between rows
- Position
- Full sun
- Rotation
- Roots and onions
- Difficulty
- Needs a little care
The year
Sow outdoors
Harvest
When to pick
Dig after the first frosts, which turn their starch to sugar. They can stay in the ground all winter.
What goes wrong
Problems, and what to do
Canker
Orange-brown rot on the shoulders. Choose a resistant variety and do not sow too early.
Gaps in the row
Old seed. Buy new every year.
Carrot fly
They can attack parsnips too. Mesh helps.
Good neighbours: Radishes, Onions.