Leeks & Parsnips in Heated Propagator?

[veg4681]

I still haven't sown my Leeks and Parsnips so really need to get a move on. Does anyone know if it's a wrong approach to sow them in heated propagator? I know Leeks is onion type vegetable which doesn't require much warmth to germinate.

Window sill sowing is a bit of hit and miss for me, I could lose over a week to find out if it's working or not. Also even if a few eventually germinate, the rest fail to germinate which is often the case that the seeds have been seriously messed about that they won't work at all. Have lost lots of seeds this way .

[Headfry]

I have sown leeks in my propagator, all seems to be well with them. As soon as they germinated I moved them out of the prop. This said the propagator and the leeks are in an unheated greenhouse!
I have not tried parsnips, but might give them a go as they are difficult to germinate.
I am learning with the propagator that to much heat can make them soft and spindly.
Can you control the temp in your propagator?
What type of container will you be sowing your parsnips in?
I sowed parsley in my prop. and had the best germination rate ever !!! brilliant.

[ConstantGardener]

don't worry, you're not too late - you can sow parsnips as late as May and still get a decent crop I'm also only just about getting around to sowing my leeks now.

I never use a heated propagator with them - just bring seed trays indoors, cover with plastic (stops the surface of the seed compost drying out) and leave in a corner somewhere - doesn't even need to be light. I check them every day to see if they've germinated, then as soon as they show even a tiny bit, move them outside to an unheated greenhouse. Don't grow them on indoors or they become too leggy. If you haven't got a greenhouse, go for a coldframe instead - you can make one just by putting a rigid plastic "lid" on top of a box.

Both parsnips and leeks are really hardy veg, you shouldn't need extra heat for either of them.

[Birdie Wife]

I wouldn't sow parships indoors as they have a tendency to dislike transplanting, even in rootrainers/toilet roll innards. Leeks I just scatter the seed on compost in a deepish pot and leave in the coldframe to germinate in it's own time.

[T-lady]

I put my parsnip seeds onto damp kitchen roll in a tupperware box and left it in the airing cupboard.

It took about a week but all the little seeds germinated and, having popped them into some compost, are now happily growing away in the cold greenhouse.


The leeks were germinated in February in the cold greenhouse. You don't need to use the propagator if you are struggling for space

[veg4681]

I have sown leeks in my propagator, all seems to be well with them. As soon as they germinated I moved them out of the prop. This said the propagator and the leeks are in an unheated greenhouse!
I have not tried parsnips, but might give them a go as they are difficult to germinate. I am learning with the propagator that to much heat can make them soft and spindly.

Can you control the temp in your propagator?
What type of container will you be sowing your parsnips in?
I sowed parsley in my prop. and had the best germination rate ever !!! brilliant.

Agree with everything you've said. I'm tempted to use heated propagator for parsnips as germination is supposed to take around 3-4 weeks. Yes I have noticed too that HP can produce inferior seedlings that are too thin, leggy, spoft, spindly even in a matter of 2-3 hours so I tend to take them out soon for repotting.

i can't control the temp on my HP but not a problem for me. i will be sowing the seeds in a very shallow dish about 1.5 inches deep. I like the predictability with HP esp. with seeds notorious for slow germination but the normal germination period doesn't apply in HP as you've found out with Parsley. My Parsley has managed to germinate in 6-7 days.

don't worry, you're not too late - you can sow parsnips as late as May and still get a decent crop I'm also only just about getting around to sowing my leeks now.

I never use a heated propagator with them - just bring seed trays indoors, cover with plastic (stops the surface of the seed compost drying out) and leave in a corner somewhere - doesn't even need to be light. I check them every day to see if they've germinated, then as soon as they show even a tiny bit, move them outside to an unheated greenhouse. Don't grow them on indoors or they become too leggy. If you haven't got a greenhouse, go for a coldframe instead - you can make one just by putting a rigid plastic "lid" on top of a box.

Both parsnips and leeks are really hardy veg, you shouldn't need extra heat for either of them.

You're right, i didn't check my fact first before posting this thread but it seems you can sow parsnips upto May (says early Spring to late Spring) and for Leeks upto mid April. So I shall be aiming between late March and mid April for leeks and parsnips to ensure I can harvest from December onwards, not interested in eating them before that. It's more important to get the spread of harvest well balanced throughout the year.

I wouldn't sow parsnips indoors as they have a tendency to dislike transplanting, even in rootrainers/toilet roll innards. Leeks I just scatter the seed on compost in a deepish pot and leave in the coldframe to germinate in it's own time.

When you say parsnips dislike transplanting, what happens to them? Do they have higher rate of failure e.g. the plants dying out? they can be direct sown but i heard the wind can be a problem with the seeds being too light.

I put my parsnip seeds onto damp kitchen roll in a tupperware box and left it in the airing cupboard.

It took about a week but all the little seeds germinated and, having popped them into some compost, are now happily growing away in the cold greenhouse.

The leeks were germinated in February in the cold greenhouse. You don't need to use the propagator if you are struggling for space

One week! That sounds like record breaking germination for parsnips as Constant Gardener has pointed out they don't need light anyway. It seems you can sow indoors (airing cupboard or heated/unheated propagater) or outdoors but the latter taking longer to germinate (3-4 weeks) but once germinated, they're happy left outside in unheated greenhouse or coldframe.

I reckon the parsnips sown in heated propagator will also take around 1 week to germinate. have you had problem with parsnips started indoors as Birdie Wife says parsnips don't like transplanting?

[Birdie Wife]

Hi veg4681,
have a read of this thread.. Many peeps do sow into loo rolls but I find I can get just as good a germination rate by the method in the thread there.

[ConstantGardener]

never had a problem with parsnips or leeks transplanting... I sow both into 2" modules. Don't allow them to get pot bound at all though - I think that's what causes problems as much as anything.

[Headfry]

I am going to try sowing them in my PG in paper pots this year!