Planting out pre-germinated parsnip seed

[raisedbed]

sowing parsnip sed

Hi All,

Reference the bog roll for sowing parsnip seed, my partner uses this method and has always had good results, the method of sinking a pole or pipe is good to, she has never had a problam.
Good luck to all your experiments.

Dave.

[Gwyndy]

I raised my seedlings in Rootrainers last year and then transplanted in to the plot. Looked great until I lifted them - total disaster!! The first one looked like something from the Doctor Who Special Effects Department - the size and shape of a small football with roots coming off in all directions. The rest weren't much better, but I did manage to salvage a couple of meals out of the mess.

A fellow allotmenteer told me that she starts her parsnips in peat pots and then plants the whole pots so that the roots are not disturbed. I'm going to try this and see what happens. Fingers crossed!!

[Joanne]

Parsnips

Hi,

This is my first year at growing Veg, and I have some parsnip seeds which I have sown into Root Trainers.

Most of them have come up, but I am not sure how big the top growth needs to be before I put them outside in the ground.

Can anyone help me.

[Demeter]

Haven't grown parsnips before - this'll be my first year - but based on the advice and experience in the rest of this thread I'd say get them out ASAP!

[Skotch]

To date I have grown parsnips using the loo roll method. There is one fundamental flaw I have found (2 if you include the mis-shapes that can occur): if the seedlings become 'leggy' and the weight of the head brings the stalk into contact with the paper or card of the roll, then they are liable to wither at that point and the top of the stalk dies and falls off. In effect, the paper/card acts as a blotter drawing the moisture from the stalk.

Anyone else had this happen to their seedlings?

[susiewoosie]

Daft question but when the seed has germinated on the kitchen towel and you plant it in the soil do you plant it flat or do you make a little hole for the root and stand it up?

[womble]

Try to get the root pointing downwards.

[susiewoosie]

Thanks I shall go and plant them now

[Bramble_killer]

If you're a bit dippy like me and pregerminate the seeds and then pot them in loo roll tubes and now some of them have got 2 true leaves, I'm guessing they should go in the ground ASAP? How many do you put in each hole? One or a few?

Complete newbie

[Jenny22Cumbria]

I put some seed on a plate today with kitchen paper but I think I'll cover it with cling film now - thanks - I hadn't thought of that!

[harrybrew69]

I suggest, that any beginners should just try the traditional method and sow there seeds now using the station sowing method, if you wish to use the more complicated method of pre germination I would advise getting a bit of hands on proficiency as it can be tricky with parsnips. Timing is everything!

[womble]

If you're a bit dippy like me and pregerminate the seeds and then pot them in loo roll tubes and now some of them have got 2 true leaves, I'm guessing they should go in the ground ASAP? How many do you put in each hole? One or a few?

Complete newbie

Put them out yesterday, one per hole.

harrybrew, tbh, how hard is it to put seeds on a plate with kitchen paper on it, water and cover with clingfilm, wait till you see tiny roots and stick in the ground? Not brain surgery is it?