DreadedParsnip thread...

[taff]

OK,I grew them last year, so no questions about germination etc.
My question is...when do I sow them so they stay fairly small, since the variety I grew last year just didn't stop growing.
I dug up what was left of them last week, and I'm not kidding when I say one of them [not the biggest either] was two foot long and ten inches across.
They were mostly pretty unusable except for shaving off the outside and using for soup, which I did.
Does closer spacing work or is there a length of growing time I would be better off doing?

[Patchninja]

According to my veg expert book you can harvest them in the autumn and store them in a box of sand like carrots.

[Nicos]

Try growing a smaller variety!!!!

flipping heck....those were huge!!

[piskieinboots]

what a wonderfully eclectic mix us gardeners make

- my parsnips won't germinate
- my parsnips are too small
- my parsnips are too big

[zazen999]

Try either:

Growing in a block rather than a row as they do slow themselves down when they push against each other.
Sowing later and do a few rows successionally.....so a row in April, one in May and one in June.

[HayleyB]

Too big.................... *groan...............

[ZeroMac]

I grew mine in potato planters last year. The all stayed a respectible size. As long as you have room for the planters that is..

[Lazgaot]

Try either:

Growing in a block rather than a row as they do slow themselves down when they push against each other.
Sowing later and do a few rows successionally.....so a row in April, one in May and one in June.

What she said. The ones I grew with plenty of space were massive. The ones sown later and closer produced lots of lovely small roots.

[Paulottie]

According to my veg expert book you can harvest them in the autumn and store them in a box of sand like carrots.

Let me know if you want some seed...always have to send some for MIL who loves them. Impossible to find in France.

I found they went soggy and re-sprouted in boxes of sand...probably did something wrong...At least I didn't have to head out and pick axe a monstrous woody, fly riddled witchy thing in Jan though.

Re original question. We've sowed in July one year ...got excellent small Parsnips with no fly. (infact because first 3 attempts failed but don't tell anyone...it was all intended)

[HayleyB]

Oh God If My Parsnips Do Not Work This Year Emprison Me Now......................

[taff]

Thank you all for responses, including the wailing wall ones
Right then,later sowing and closer spacing it is

[gojiberry]

Can't understand why your parsnips were unusable. No matter how big parsnips get they don't go tough and woody till well into spring (probably may time). You just use a big knife and cut them into fingers the size that you want. Just wish mine had grown to that size.

Ian

[taff]

they were very woody, the core was huge,there was about an inch to half inch of useable stuff on there.The soup was nice though, it did make 4 pints
I decided to give the rest to the local animal sanctuary for the bloes pigs,I expect they enjoyed them too, or at least I hope they did

[Paulottie]

Parsnip wine?....doesn't taste at all like parsnips I promise....only a suggestion tho!

[binley100]

Parsnip cake's rather yummy and like wine does not taste of parsnips either.