Parsnip Canker

[FionaH]

Some of my parsnips have had orange canker. Not a problem I just cut it out and use the rest
Am I right in thinking the bed should be left free of root veg now for at least 4years?

[lottielady]

Not sure I have had canker previuosly but not this year I think I have read it is caused by planting too early I don't sow until at leastAPril and then pre-chit and plant each seed on its own, time consuming but I have the best parsnips this year that I have ever had. Maybe someone else could shed more light.

[Snadger]

Avon Resistor is only one of the canker resistant varieties available!

[zazen999]

I've not heard that Fi. The only thing to do with canker is to grow resistant types but canker I can live with - not growing root veg in a whole bed for 4 years I can't.

[FionaH]

Andrea that was what I was thinking! tbh though I have my eye on another bit of my Dads garden for parsnips! they stay in the ground so long I could just park them ofer there instead

Haven't mentioned this idea to my Dad yet or to my son who will be dragged in to help me dig clay soil!

[Two_Sheds]

I've just dug up the last of my parsnips, and they were brilliant (Gladiator). These last 6 were small and one of them (just the one) had canker.

I'll be sowing lots more this year during April and May (I did some in June but they never came up)

I also have millions of self-seedlings coming up all over the plot, which I'll be thinning out, labelling and seeing if the best come to owt.

[Bigmallly]

To play safe, could they not be grown in containers, boxes etc.

[ladylottie]

I grew Gladiator this year and they've been good. There are still about 6 or so of them left in the ground waiting to be dug up (under all that snow - if only I could get to them!). As far as I remember, I've only had three with canker - I think I hoed round these a bit too much earlier on. Next year I'm going to try Avonresistor.

[Scottishnewbie]

To play safe, could they not be grown in containers, boxes etc.

I grew parsnips this year and, although the majority are in the soil, i did plant some in one of those polystyrene boxes you get from fish places - couldnt get to the soil ones for xmas dinner but just emptied the ones in the box and used them instead. they werent as big as the ones in the ground but at least we got to eat our 'nips for cmas dinner!

no canker and very tasty (gladiator and pre chitted)

[FionaH]

Mine were gladiator and apart from a touch of canker they were fab. Absolutely huge too

[Burnzie]

Hi, after pre-chitting your parsnip seed how do you then plant them out?

Fluid sow or just hand place them?

Cover with soil or compost?


I've struggled with poor germination this year and was thinking obout giving pre-chitting a try.

many thanks in advance

Burnzie

[lottielady]

I have pre-chitted for the last two years and not sown until about end of April / early May and have great success this way would recommend it apart from it is a bit fiddly but have had a really good crop of Gladiator for the last two years.

[Scottishnewbie]

popped mine on a bit of damp kitchen paper and put in the hot water cupboard. then once they'd sprouted i used a dibber to make as deep a hole as i could, filled it with compost and put the seed on top of each hole with a bit more compost on the top. a bit fiddly but well worth the time in my view - wouldnt do it any other way and no thinning out required

forgot to say that i didnt do it till april/may either as i read somewhere that low germination is due in part to planting out too early

[ladylottie]

Hi, after pre-chitting your parsnip seed how do you then plant them out?

Fluid sow or just hand place them?

Cover with soil or compost?


I've struggled with poor germination this year and was thinking obout giving pre-chitting a try.

many thanks in advance

Burnzie

I put a load of seed on a damp piece of kitchen roll in a plastic container (without the lid on) and left it on the top of a cupboard in the kitchen. Checked every day and made sure the paper stayed damp (lightly sprayed water on if needed). Once they had started to sprout, I planted 3 to a toilet roll tube and kept them on a windowsill. Was surprised that most grew well and planted the whole toilet roll out at the lottie towards the end of April. After a bit (when I was sure they were all growing nicely) I removed the weakest 2.

Next year I will only put two per toilet roll.

[zazen999]

Fi - you've inadvertently started another Parsnip sowing thread - you norty lady.

I've tried all the above methods and more....sowing parsnip in kitchen roll, in modules, in loo rolls, in jiffy7s; and the best lot I got was last year, sowing in May straight into a prepared meter square of soil.