Scientific Parsnip Experiment Results...*ahem*... :)

[Scousemooncat]

Morning All,

Well against the advice of my fellow allotmenteers who warned that carrots & parsnips would never grow I set up a "scientific experiment" whereby half the row of carrots & parsnips would be pre-soaked in homemade cornflour gel and the other half sown "dry"...

Both sets were covered with a plank of wood and nature was allowed to take its course...

*time passes*

Well - the results are in...the pre soaked ones had worse germination than the dry ones which was a shock, but the board definitely did help germination as the ones that fell outside the board didnt grow at all even though they were kept well watered...dont forget it was that terrible dry april/may too

and here is the proof - they are all pretty much this size...see pic!

So next season, I will be sowing dry with the board over the top...

Cheers all!

Simon...

[Glutton4...]

What's the theory behind using the board?

[Scousemooncat]

Its because the seeds can dry out so easily and therefore dont germinate, so the board stops direct sunlight and also stops the water from the soil or gel evaporating too quickly....PLUS you water the board and the water seeps down around the edges which doesnt wash the seed away!...I think thats all the pros for it...you just have to keep a beady eye for those pesky slugs who think its a new full board (ho ho) branch of Butlins opened up for them...

[Glutton4...]

Hmmmmm - interesting. We don't have slugs, so could be worth the experiment!

[Nicos]

Like the idea of the plank- and thanks for sharing your results with us!

[Alison]

Interesting but why by the way did the fellow lottie holders say that you couldn't grow carrots and parsnips, on what were they basing this knowledge?

[Scousemooncat]

Afternoon Alison!...I think it was a combination of a bad year previously owing to poor soil in some plots (stoney, so lots of "Thats Life" amusing parsnips & Carrots) and the poor germination issue...I mean my carrots got a bit of carrot fly but thats through my own gung-ho approach rather than a resident plague!

And you know what chinese whispers are like, after a while they become "fact" and until you try you never know!

[Florence Fennel]

Glad the experiment worked for you SMC, enjoy your carrots!

[Rocketron]

Hmmmmm - interesting. We don't have slugs, so could be worth the experiment!

Tucked away in a thread apropos of nothing, You don't have slugs?
Why not?

[Snadger]

I usually add old compost to a slit cut in the soil where I sow the carrots. The moisture rententive qualities of the 'spent' compost usually keep the soil moist enough for the carrots/parsnips to germinate.
I imagine with the board method you would have to lift it every day or so to see whether they had germinated or not?

[sewer rat]

Depending on how many parsnips you want to sow, you could pre-germinate the seed by placing it on a sheet of damp kitchen roll inside a tupperware or similar container. As soon as the seed shows signs of germination, plant out. This is how the show guys do it for their barrels, so as I say, it would depend on whether you aere sowing 60 or 500.

[Scousemooncat]

Morning All,

Sorry : for clarification - the pre soaking in the cornflour gel was a "pre-germination" and they went out when the small shoots appeared...so one half was pre germinated and the second lot were totally dry...

Snadger; I started doing that - but then when they hadnt fully taken after 2 days I got bored of lifting the board and came back after a week or so and they had started to poke out the business end, so I removed the board totally to allow sun to them!...so it was like a belt and braces approach - pre germination and then protection until they had started to root into the soil...

S!

[lottie dolly]

thanks for sharing your experiment,we are brave saying the word parsnips lol,many a thread on here about them ,what i tried this year was,cut some 3inch round drain pipe into short bits aprox 2.5 inch long,place just into the top soil,do not fill pipe up,it's a barrier only,sow 3 or 4 seeds the correct depth within the pipe,i tried this on account of the weeds,they beat the parsnips out the ground,this way i know where to put the hoe,and keep the seeds safe,you could still put some wood on the top,when the snips foliage is well defined,gently twist the pipe ring out the way,am going to use this method next year,not just for snips, but anything that you need to know where it's at,and keep weeds down,try anything once,swede,carrots in little groups,what you like,

[VirginVegGrower]

I'm going to try the pipe barrier and board this year. See if I can't crack parsnips once we have disconnected from Siberia's weather front.

[SarzWix]

Love this idea, it would prevent capping of the soil if you get heavy rain too, which we often do. I wonder if a length of up-turned guttering would do the same?