Whilst we're on the subject of....

[Dave & Kate N Wales]

parsnips!! Following on from the germination experiment thread we pre germinated ours on damp kitcehn towel and have transferred some to kitchen roll tubes and now some are poking through the compost. Soooo my question is at what stage should they be planted in the ground and like other stuff do they need some sort of hardening out 1st. Thanks

[chris]

I was going to ask this, as I was going to move straight out of my prop into an unheated room, then if/whenGH arrives, into that (unheated) before planting out.

I'd assume that they're reasonably hardy.

[AshGS]

I usually take mine out of the heated propagator, and then ween them off for a couple of days on the floor of my greenhouse. Make sure you dig deep and make the soil really soft so it's easier to take them out when cropping later on. Also parsnips become sweeter with colder weather which is why I prefer eating Parsnips in the winter.

[Two_Sheds]

at what stage should they be planted in the ground

before they poke out of the bottom of the kitchen roll

I was going to move straight out of my prop into an unheated room

Parsnips don't need to be in a propagator: the warmth of the kitchen is plenty. I germinate mine on a sheet of damp kitchen towel, on a plate, with clingfilm over the top to keep the moisture in.
When they get little sprouts on, they go straight in the ground.

The only benefit of starting them in rolls, is if your ground isn't ready (either not dug or too cold).

Little seedlings don't need hardening off: it's the bigger ones that do.

[Bigmallly]

Parsnips I germinate mine on a sheet of damp kitchen towel, on a plate, with clingfilm over the top to keep the moisture in.

How long for TS?........Mine have been on kitchen roll for over 4 weeks now & no sign.......I was wondering if the seeds weren't viable.

[Two_Sheds]

I had germination last year in about 11 days I think. Maybe your seeds aren't viable?

[Dave & Kate N Wales]

Ours seem happy since transplantation about 2 weeks ago the planted the last lot out today as some were slower to germinate and we went on hols so hardened out this week then planted today. The majority gerinated within 10 days to 2 weeks with other taking up to 3 weeks. Had 1 batch - last yrs seed which failed to germintae last year, tried it on damp kitchen towel same as twosheds with 0 germination again so they must have been duds. This years were expensive 19p netto seeds and have done great so far
Kate