Parsnip query

[Skotch]

Hopefully someone can advise:

I'm growing a bed of parsnips (Gladiator F1 to be precise). I sowed back in April and the y have been growing along quite nicely. I went to the lottie yesterday and noticed one of my parsnips had bolted. I snapped off the seed head and later decided to dig up the root. My query is twofold. Firstly, I thought parsnips were biennial and they wouldn't go to seed until the 2nd year. If that is the case, any idea why this one has bolted? Secondly, as this one has bolted, what is the likelihood of the others doing the same thing? As I understand it, F1 seeds are bred to be alsmost identical, so I'm worried that the rest of my crop will do the same thing.

Many thanks in advance

Skotch

[Two_Sheds]

Bolting can be caused by stress to the plant: too much heat, too little water?

[zazen999]

Changing weather patterns......anything that makes the plant think it is dying can bring on bolting.

[Glaurung]

A couple of mine have done the same. I considered saving the seed for next year, but thought I'd probably just be selecting for early bolting. So I ate them & they tasted just fine.

[chriscross1966]

I would guess weather triggered.... but I'm at a loss to how what we've had would do it.....

chrisc

[rustylady]

Dig up and use. I wouldn't bother trying to save parsnip seed - it's notoriously difficult to germinate anyway.

[ann-the-nan]

Parsnip query

If you can bear to hang on - there is supposed to be a frost to-night and that's good in the parsnip world. I think it's supposed to change the starches into sugars making for a better taste.

[Two_Sheds]

Dig up and use. I wouldn't bother trying to save parsnip seed - it's notoriously difficult to germinate anyway.

Oh

I've just carefully saved and dried about 3,000 seeds

[Florence Fennel]

Oh

I've just carefully saved and dried about 3,000 seeds

So are you looking upon it as a challenge TS?
Flo

[snakeshack]

Oh

I've just carefully saved and dried about 3,000 seeds

On the bright side with a 10% germination rate that gives you 300 parsnips

[BFG]

How do you know when they're ready? When the foilage dies down?

[Two_Sheds]

BFG, they're ready when they're big enough to eat: rub a little earth away from the root, if it's not too thin, pull it up

[Glaurung]

My parsnips were grown from saved seed which germinated really well. I think the key thing with parsnip seed is it needs to be fresh - no good to save from one year to the next.

[Skotch]

On the saving parsnip seed front, mine are F1's (Gladiator) - what would the resultant 'snips be like?

[Glaurung]

You're not supposed to save seed from F1 hybrids. If you do try though, the resulting plants won't (all) be like the parent ones, instead you should get a whole range of snips that are like each of the grandparent plants & everywhere in between (as I understand it).