diseases of the parsnip

[bikermike]

My (usually reliable) parsnips have something.

The leaves are dying back (on otherwise green stalks) with a grey band where they are dying off). Any ideas?

[Penellype]

A grey band sounds like some sort of fungal infection. Could it be powdery mildew? - there is a strain of this which affects carrots and parsnips.

Unless all leaves are affected I would be inclined to remove any showing signs of disease.

[bikermike]

that would make sense.

what a bloomin' year, getting damp-related diseases after drought...

Presumably the main preventative action is rotation and cleaning the frames/nets?

[Penellype]

I would think so - and avoid planting other umbelliferae (carrots, fennel, celery, celeriac, parsley) in that bed for a year or 2. That is good practise anyway if you can manage it.

[bikermike]

I would think so - and avoid planting other umbelliferae (carrots, fennel, celery, celeriac, parsley) in that bed for a year or 2. That is good practise anyway if you can manage it.

I can be absolutely sure that all bar carrots, parsnips and fennel will not be grown there at all. I rotate anyway, so I just need to make a note for this bed not to have those in for 2 years.

[bikermike]

presumably it won't affect the parsnips themselves?
(other than stop them growing as big as they might)