B*****Y nips

[womble]

Despite 3 sowing and all of my skill (may be the problem ) I only have a handful of parsnips still alive.
Bad germination did some in, a load were killed by inadaquate watering and the slugs finished off the rest.

Is it really worth sowing any now, or should I just give in and buy them from the shop in winter..... and sow something else in there now.

I realise that I won't get big ones now, but if it's not worth it, I'll save the seed for next year.

[LolaLou]

Oh dear, how frustrating! I must admit, I sowed one lot (Countess) and only have about 3 seedlings to show for it (the other seeds are still in the compost, I've checked) but I then planted 2 rows of my back-up, always germinate seeds (Johnson's - Palace) and last night spent an hour oiking out seedlings (as all four in almost each hole germinated) and moving them to the empty rows (my theory being that the risk of forked parsnips is better than none at all). My seedlings are still really tiny - maybe if you pre-germinated them first on a bit of paper and then planted to save time now, then you may get a half decent crop still, don't see why not, they are in the ground for so long - Maybe a parsnip expert can hlep?? (Also, the seed will be no good next year).

[womble]

(Also, the seed will be no good next year).

I think that's an urban myth, because whenever I've saved parsnip seed for one two or three years, I've had good germination on paper.
Unless something goes wrong with them after germination, don't think so though.

[LolaLou]

Darn, I always bin what I can't use

[womble]

No one sowed them this late before then?

[FionaH]

Think I did last year and got some small ones, might as well try mate

[womble]

How small is small? Big enough to bother doing it?

[solway cropper]

I'd post some pics of my amazing parsnips and their lush foliage which is now about two feet tall but that would just be rubbing salt into the wounds

Seriously, I've made successional sowings since March and the earliest ones had the much better germination. I wonder if they have an optimum temperature for germination. The March sowings gave almost 100 percent but by early May this had dropped to about 60 percent from the same seed packet.

[binley100]

I've got about 24 from a new full packet , I just kept trying to fill the gaps . Didn't really work

[zazen999]

I sowed in June last year, the biggest are currently flowering now.

I haven't sown any this year yet. Maybe this weekend. No rush.

[Scarlet]

I put some extras in about 3 weeks ago because I read on a thread that it was worth a try! Most came up within a couple of days and they are now quickly catching up with the ones I planted in late april which were very slow to germinate.

[womble]

I sowed in June last year, the biggest are currently flowering now.

I haven't sown any this year yet. Maybe this weekend. No rush.

OK, I'll try, you have convinced me. Have you still not sown yours yet? Is there a reason for this, or have you just not been bothered yet?

[womble]

I put some extras in about 3 weeks ago because I read on a thread that it was worth a try! Most came up within a couple of days and they are now quickly catching up with the ones I planted in late april which were very slow to germinate.

Thankyou! I hope mine come up as fast as yours.

[zazen999]

OK, I'll try, you have convinced me. Have you still not sown yours yet? Is there a reason for this, or have you just not been bothered yet?

Last year I sowed late and had a great crop; and this year I have Aminopyralid contaminated manure which I have had to scrape off, rake and sive out.....so am at least a month behind with everything......parsnips are the least of my worries

[womble]

Last year I sowed late and had a great crop; and this year I have Aminopyralid contaminated manure which I have had to scrape off, rake and sive out.....so am at least a month behind with everything......parsnips are the least of my worries

Yeah sorry to hear about that. If even you can get caught with it, anyone can. I'm going to be even more careful in the future with manure.