Can anyone advise on Parsnips?

[Jollygardener]

Hello this is my first post I have been around for a while reading and gathering much knowledge, but now I have a question.

I have recently sowed some Parsnips into a large pot with the intention of transplanting the seedlings into the ground. However as a novice with parsnips it was not until I sowed the seeds that I saw things about them not liking their roots disturbed?

If I was to transplant out what are the chances of them surviving?

Thank you

J

[chris]

Welcome to the vine!

They'll survive fine, they'll just fork. I transplanted a few seedlings last year (I posted a thread about my germination and transplanting experiment). Despite getting the taproot as straight as possible, they still did fork, but I had plenty of usable parnsips, just means they're a bit more difficult to clean. I cut off any small forked roots - washed them on their own and the main root was then fine.

I made sure that the ground I transplanted them into was loose, and fine compost/sand so they'd push through easily.

Out of all the methods, the direct sown ones grew massive, and were straight. One was 4' long. usable, probably about a foot odd, and the shoulders were as wide as my hand.

I've a photo of one of my forked parnsips somewhere, i'll have a look for it now.

[chris]

Plenty of usable on there, but again, my compost was about 4.5' deep, finely sieved mixed in with sand and sieved top soil.

[VirginVegGrower]

It's an octoparsnip! Lovely pic CM!

[chris]

Hey, looks aint everything

[VirginVegGrower]

I am liking it - I think it's a corker

[WendyC]

Could you leave them in the pot? If they need thinning you could try transplanting the thinnings only.

[Jardiniere]

i was going to say exactly the same thing......i started some off in pots to fill in the gaps in the row on the plot and have moved some to do that...even tho i know they will fork (mine fork anyway cos the ground is stony) but there are about three left in the pot and i'm leaving them there just to see how they do....i'll eat them early (so they wont get any frost to flavour them) but they wont have outgrown the pot.