Germinating parsnips - a quick question.

[Kristen]

I was going to do newspaper pots too but I think I'll stick with chitted seed considering that.

Chitted, and plant straight out, is fine (although not done it myself).

My Newspaper pots are made from folding a double-spread page from a tabloid in half (top-to-bottom) and rolling round an aerosol can (about 2" - 2.5" diameter).

Leaving enough to tuck in at the bottom gives me a good 6" - 7" tall pot, which I think is enough.

been doing it for years, and only have a few that grow like gloves, but given my hard clay soil that may also be the cause.

I was away this year and came back to find the true leaves out and the parsnip seedlings not even started hardening off So I just planted them out - luckily its been mild, but we'll see whether the shock upset them.

I've put the 10% that had signs of tap root out the bottom at one end of the row, so I'll see if they are more glove-like forked than the rest next year.

[BigShot]

I tend to fold my double pages to slightly taller than a third and then roll.
I use a straight sided glass though as I find the lip on an aerosol can makes it a pain to lift back out again. Maybe I'm not doing it right though.

I've been thinking about ways to join a few pages together and make a bigger pot for potting on too.

Do let us know what happens to the ones with the root at the bottom.

[Kristen]

I use a straight sided glass though as I find the lip on an aerosol can makes it a pain to lift back out again.

Good idea! Just checked the WD40 can I use, and it has an interesting crimped seam at the base, which seems to make the "lip" at the bottom no wider than the can itself. So I reckon I've just been lucky.

I also have a slightly smaller plastic lid, from a different can, and I use that to push the aerosol can down onto to "compress" the tucked-in newspaper at the bottom, before I pull the "pot" off. Teh aersol can has a dished-bottom which fits snugly onto the plastic-lid (if that is easily to visualise?) No idea if that is needed, just how I've always done it ...

I shall be back to tell you if the sticky-out-root ones were ok , and hiding if they are all a nightmare to peel

[BigShot]

Green with envy.

I find the pots a LOT more stable if the bottom is recessed a bit. Having a can with a crimped bottom seam and a lid to shape the bottom is luxury!
Southern affluence, that.

Up north we (I) have to make do with a tumbler and hand shaping the bottom...
...and so begins the "Three Yorkshiremen" Python sketch.