help with parsnips

[poppysocks]

Can anyone offer some advice with parsnips? I grew some for the first time last year and seemed to have very healthy plants but when I harvested them they were not very long and were very oddly shaped. Some were very broad but short and some were very small but the right shape. The majority were curled round on themselves with what appeared to be more than one edible root. They do taste very good but because they are such odd shapes it takes ages to prepare them for cooking. I also want to freeze them, does anyone know if I can freeze them in the traditional roast parsnip shape or do I have to dice them? Appreciate any help and advice

[Two_Sheds]

Forked roots or bent roots may mean your ground is stony, or over-rich.

[Florence Fennel]

You don't have to dice to freeze them. I scrub or peel, cut in half (depending on the size) blanch (drop in boiling water and simmer) them for 1 minute, pop in cold water until cold, dry and freeze. As TS says, your ground has stones, or did you over fertilise/feed?

[Alison]

Agree it sounds like stones or over rich ground. Don't understand why you'd want to freeze them though as they stay fine in the ground which doesn't take up valuable freezer space

[Chef_uk]

I'd say stones too but only because i spent 3 hours removing them from a bed for carrots this year

[Jono]

Mine take on a very similar shape to yours, and my ground is very stony.

Next time a lad knocks on my door to ask me if I want my car washed I'm going to say no, but I'll give you a penny for every stone you can pick off my allotment!

[zazen999]

Parsnips.

In April...or May

Prepare a square metre of ground, by digging it over, adding sand if your soil is clay and picking out as many stones as you can to a depth of 12 inches.

Rake over the square until the soil is crumbly.

Sow your seeds either in a grid of 2 inches square across the whole area, or put an estimated amount to just cover the amount you think you can grow in that area and rake them in. If sowing in a grid, don't rake!

Cover the seeds with either sieved soil, some sand or sawdust.

If you have slug problems, take your precautions now. I use the organic pellets.

When the seedlings are about 2 inches tall, weed and then leave.

When they are about 6 inches tall, weed for a second time.

They can start to be harvested around Sept; if you want that sweet taste, wash the root, peel and slice and put into the freezer overnight. The cook from frozen the next day.

If you harvest the largest roots from Sept, you can leave the others to grow on and fill their spaces. Continue harvesting over winter.

If you have grown an open pollinated variety - such as Tender and True - then you can leave 3-5 roots in the ground over winter, let them flower and set seed, and collect the seed in a bucket, leave to dry and you will be able to give parsnip seeds to each person that you meet who grows veg for the next year. If you do this every 2 years, you will never have to buy parsnip seeds again. You may need 2-3 buckets as they set alot of seed.

To breed a good variety for your area, keep the best looking parsnips each year, and replant them where you have space....and use those for the seeds.

[Kristen]

The majority were curled round on themselves with what appeared to be more than one edible root.

Sounds like they were not thinned to single plants? need to be sure to only leave one at each "station" (cut off with scissors rather than pulling up as that might disturb the neighbouring one which you want to keep

If they are growing more like a "glove" then stick a crowbar in, or similar, wiggle round to make a cone shaped planting hole (or use a bulb planter), fill the hold with sieved soil, or spent multi-purpose compost from pots last year. Sow a small pinch of seeds and then thin those out once they have germinates. Should be no stones in the prepared hole you made, and thus the tap root should grown down easily.

[poppysocks]

Many thanks for all the advice, it is much appreciated. I don't think they were overcrowded as I initially grew them in biodegradable pots and then planted out. I think I may have over fertilized. The other thing that occurs to me is that my neighbour has conifers and there are numerous roots in my garden so that sounds like the problem. The reason I lifted them was because I read something that said if they start growing again they should be lifted although I had previously read that they could be left in the ground. I will keep growing them because I love them and will follow all the advice offered. I knew nothing about growing veg when I started last year but I did do a lot of reading which isn't always helpful so I have adopted a learn as you go mentality!

[Shadylane]

If you grew them in pots then that could've been the problem, as the tap root may have hit the bottom and become deformed. They do start growing again and eventually will get all hairy but there's still some time yet. It's still quite chilly.

[Hazel at the Hill]

If you have grown an open pollinated variety - such as Tender and True - then you can leave 3-5 roots in the ground over winter, let them flower and set seed, and collect the seed in a bucket, leave to dry and you will be able to give parsnip seeds to each person that you meet who grows veg for the next year. If you do this every 2 years, you will never have to buy parsnip seeds again. You may need 2-3 buckets as they set alot of seed.

The flower stalks will be quite tall (4-5'), and the yellow umbrella-like flowers are very pretty. They are very prolific - you will not only be able to give parsnip seeds to everyone that you met who grows veg for the next year, you will be able to give parsnip seeds to everyone that you meet full stop.

[motherhen]

I drop three or four seeds the correct distance apart, that you would have after thining this saves a lot of work at thining time? Does this make sense?